DISCONTINUED VERSION - A Home Like No Other
by Joshy.exe
Summary: [DISCONTINUED VERSION] It all happened so fast: the screeching of tires, the world spinning around her in a storm of shattered glass and twisted metal. How was she supposed to know that both her and the unborn child she carried were going to die that day? Or better yet, how could she have ever prepared for what happened next?
1. Chapter 1

**A Home Like No Other**

 **Chapter 1**

* * *

It was a cold and wet afternoon in Colorado as an older Chevy Suburban that had certainly seen better days made its way down a winding road that carved about the natural twists and turns of the mountainous landscape. Inside, a young woman, no older than twenty-five years, sat at the wheel with the vehicle's heater warming the spacious cabin to a more comfortable temperature. She occasionally glanced away from the road to check a gauge or fine tune the heater, all while she quietly hummed alongside the radio as it played music from one of the local stations.

A loud chime nearly gave her a heart attack as something within her purse vibrated. She cursed herself for leaving the volume on her phone turned up so high and reached for the purse. She dug around for all of five seconds before thinking better of the action. One of her friends had slammed into the tailgate of a truck while texting once, and the thought of having something similar happen to her was more than enough to return her full attention back to the road.

But by then, it was far too late.

By the time she realized what was happening, the SUV was mere feet away from a sharp curb that had been laying in ambush. In a panic, the woman spun the steering wheel left and slammed on the brakes with enough force to make a loud _thud_. There was the sound of wet screeching as the vehicle went into a slide, but the road was simply too slick with rain for there to have ever been a chance of stopping in time. Too overcome with horror, she could only watch and feel as the Suburban hit the guardrail and flipped over it, careening over the edge of the mountainside road.

Time all but stopped as the vehicle became airborne, leaving the young woman suspended in weightlessness – trapped in a tumbling world where falling raindrops sat motionless and the earth and sky danced around one another. She tried to scream, but the sound was cut off by the jarring sensation of the heavy SUV smashing into the steep embankment. It rolled over itself again and again as the cab caved in on itself with the sickening crunch of metal. At the same time, every window was exploding in a storm of glass that cut into the woman's skin and left her bleeding from several cuts. Another hard hit on the rough face of the mountain, and the frame of the vehicle folded in on itself, sending something sharp slicing into the woman's face as a portion of the driver's side was ripped away – tearing the seatbelt latch off of the seat and effectively leaving nothing between her and the murderous intent of the van. She was sent hurdling towards the smashed windshield, where another hard impact caused it to close around one of her arms like the mouth of a monster, mangling it with gnashing teeth made from sharp glass and twisted metal. It all quite literally came crashing down with one final smash against the cold and wet ground that lay far below. And with the last impact, she could feel bones _crack_ and shatter like twigs as she was sandwiched between the ceiling and the rest of the crushed vehicle that now lay upside down in a muddy ditch. In the brief moment that she had been falling, all was chaos, but after that...

Pain. In the final moments of her life, pain was everything. It was everything she knew, had ever known, and ever would know. It was in the sight of the gruesome remains of her arm that lay in the peripheral of her failing vision, it was in the smell and taste of her blood mixed with gasoline, and it was in the sound of her voice as she sobbed and choked out pleas above the gentle pattering of rain for someone – anyone – to help her as both she and the totaled vehicle lay at the bottom of a ravine. Yes, in those final fleeting moments, pain was everything, it was all-encompassing – an omniscient force that cradled her broken form as she hoped beyond hope that it would all turn out okay.

But she knew it wasn't so. It would _never_ be okay. She was dying, that was fact, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She tried to move herself in any way, but again, the numbing pain was the only thing waiting for her. Where was her phone? Was it still in her purse? Where even was her purse? It didn't really matter, nothing mattered now. The only thing that was left to do was bathe in the pain and reflect. Reflect on her own life and how it had been wasted in a moment of human error. Contemplate on how she had foolishly cut her own life short... and ending another before it had even started. She was unable to crane her neck to see it, but she could feel its weight, its presence amongst the pain. As she slowly slipped away, she hazily picture looking down to see her swollen belly that bore life yet fulfilled.

The hot tears blurred her vision further as they left her eyes and streamed in some direction that wasn't quite right. She wanted to feel sorrow for her actions, to feel regret for ruining everything, but the tears that flowed were only that of pain. It was too much for her to feel anything else.

It wasn't too much longer before everything began to fade. First to go was her strained and hoarse voice as it fell to silence, the futility of her actions dawning on her. She was truly alone, no one would chance upon her, at least not for a few hours. How much time had passed already? It was so hard to tell. REgardless, more time passed and she began to feel cold. It wasn't the bitter chill of a mountain wind, nor was it the uncomfortable cold of being trapped in an air conditioned space. Rather, it was a sort of numbing cool that dulled the pain and left ice in her veins. If she were more aware, she probably would've attributed it to the blood that had left her body and sat pooling beneath her... Or was it above her? It was becoming too hard to discern anything as she slipped further and further. An eternity passed, and she could no longer feel much, but she knew that the pain of shattered bone and ground flesh lay just beneath the gilds of the nothingness. Another eternity, and she could begin to feel herself finally let go. The world began to grow darker as her last thoughts rested once more on the lives that could've been, but shall never be. She could no longer hear the gentle rapping of raindrops on the underside of the SUV's twisted body as she felt her entire body grow more limp by the second. It was dark, so dark. But she was not afraid, only the pain masked by numbness remained. Finally, the dark closed in, taking everything away as her shallow breathing all but ceased, and her faint heartbeat slowed further and further until it too stopped. Everything was gone now, even the numbness, even the pain.

That was the day Amy Miller died.

 **–-**

Amy let out a sleepy groan as the nothing that had devoured the world began to retreat. It felt strange to suddenly have sensation return once more as she shifted uncomfortably where she lay. Her first thoughts were those of confusion; hadn't she just... died? The question alone was enough to rouse her further as everything she had thought lost to death began returning to her once again. The first thing she became aware of was the clean smell of salty sea air mixed with the vaguest hints of freshly cut grass. Soon she realized that she could feel a gentle wind skirting across her form, catching on something atop her head. The sensation was strangely tickling – to the point that she eventually shifted herself once more in the hope that it would stop pestering her. It was in the midst of doing this that Amy realized that something was very, _very_ wrong. Her arms and legs felt disproportionate, and refused to move in the ways she commanded them to. This coupled with the fact that she could feel something strange attached to her _twitch_ every so often was enough to jolt her fully back to the land of the living. Snapping her eyes wide open, she immediately flinched away from the nearly blinding light that surrounded her. Clenching her eyes shut, she waited for them to adjust to the light, but every second that she hid behind her eyelids was met with another question, another concern, and an ever increasing feeling that something was amiss. Where was she? Why wasn't she in any pain? Why did she feel like a foreigner to her own body? Was her baby-

 _Her baby!_

Amy's heart caught in her throat as the realization dawned on her still groggy mind. Refusing to wait any longer, she fought to open her eyes, heedless of how they watered in protest, and squinted through the light of the world around her. She could make out that she was in a small room of sorts that was hidden away from the rest of the world by a single fluttering curtain framed in the doorway. The room itself looked especially plain, it was furnished only with a large potted plant and a wooden bookshelf that seemed to tower above where she lay on her side. Craning her head back, she was met with a mostly bare wall, built from planks of unstained wood, with the only interesting feature on it being the open window that let in some sunlight and the breeze she had been feeling the entire time.

Wait, was she _naked_?

Without wasting any more time, the young woman snapped her focus away from the room and back to herself. Her body still felt terribly wrong despite the lack of pain, and she had an unborn child to check up on. She shifted yet again and turned her gaze downward to chance a look at herself...

And screamed.

It wasn't her body! There was no way it could've been, it wasn't even human! Before her lay a bare form coated with a fine lilac fur that covered every observable inch of its surface. She tried desperately to raise a hand, but was met only with a slender foreleg that transitioned seamlessly into a paw. Oh, how she wanted to look away, to dismiss it as some kind of hallucination, but her eyes were glued to the creature's limb as it moved whenever she tried to command her own arm. She could feel every movement as it trembled like a leaf in a storm, feel every strand of fur be disturbed as the warm breeze continued to pervade the small room. And though it refused to move in the way a human's arm should have been able to, deep down she knew that the thing before her – beyond a shadow of a doubt – was supposed to be her body.

Amy's terror-ridden mind was beginning to space out as she stared past her new paw and through the plain wood that surrounded her. What kind of nightmarish scene was this? Was she still supposed to be dead? If so, was this punishment for not praying to God or some other deity before she died? Did this happen to every person who passed? She was so caught up in the whirlwind of questions and confusion that it took several moments for her to realize that there was still something else moving back and forth out of the corner of her eye. With hesitation, Amy cast her gaze to one side. She was met with a thin, two-pronged limb that was swishing in agitation, covered in the same lilac fur as the rest of her body. Following the appendage to its source led to it thickening ever so slightly towards the base as it attached to her inhuman form. It was clearly supposed to be a tail that, too, was a part of this alien body of hers. A fresh wave of panic and terror crashed over her as she tried to climb to her feet, but only ended up writhing around as she let out a panicked cry alongside a string of curses. Without so much as a warning, Amy went spilling off of whatever she had been resting upon and crashed to the floorboards below. The sensations of moving in such a form, the new stimulation coming from her fur and tail, her mindset given the situation – it was all to much for her to handle at once. She felt moments away from vomiting up whatever still remained in her stomach.

And then she heard the footsteps.

In reality, the noise didn't sound like footsteps at all, it was more like a very dull and rapid thumping noise that drew nearer with every passing second. If not for the turmoil she was going through, Amy likely would've wondered how she had heard the noise to begin with. But that wasn't important. Right now, she was fearing for her life! Closer still the thumping grew, until Amy heard it stop just outside of her room. She hadn't noticed it before, but the curtain separating her room from the rest of wherever she was had the slightest hint of transparency to it. As the approaching noise stopped, Amy looked on in horror as a sizable, distinctly non-human silhouette appeared from out of nowhere. It only hesitated a moment before it moved and pushed the curtain out of the way, revealing one of the strangest things she had ever seen.

It was a quadruped creature, that's as far as she could describe it before things became strange. The features were just... unusual. It had a red-orange coat of fur, with a tail, collar, and tuft atop its head that was both voluminous and a shade of yellow. It also had a short muzzle, but its large eyes and rabbit-like ears made it impossible to tell what she was looking at. Was it a dog of some kind? A bunny? Both...?

"I... I heard screaming." The creature panted as it tried to catch their breath. "Is everything okay? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

Amy could only stare with wide eyes at this intruder. Had it really just spoken to her? If her mind were in a more stable state, she probably would've laughed it off – or perhaps she did and just didn't realize it, because the expression on the creature's face looked quite disturbed by something. Regardless, the brief interaction was enough to push her past the limit of how much she could handle at once. She felt herself go weak as the world began to spin about her in a sickening way. Without so much as a word, she went limp, her head smacking the floor with a thud as she succumbed to unconsciousness once more.

 **–-**

Amy wasn't sure how long she had blacked out, nor did she care. The only thing that mattered in that moment was that she had a headache and wanted it to stop. Her ears caught the faint sound of voices conversing amongst themselves. She attempted to move and get a better idea of what they were saying, only to go rigid as she felt the sensation of fur being touched by everything it came into contact with. She lay there with her eyes still closed, afraid to open them for what she might see. Yet she didn't have to see, she could still _feel_ it – the fur, the inhuman shape of her arms and legs, the tail. Already the panic was setting in again as her breathing began to pick up. What had happened to her? Where was she? What was she?

There were so many questions that needed to be answered, yet she had no idea of where the search for those answers should even begin. It was as she sat motionless and close to hyperventilating that she heard something once again making its way towards her room. Eyes still wrenched shut, her mind began to work even harder. What should she do? Most of the solutions that came to mind were rather simple: things like run, fight, or even feign sleep. But a small voice in her head was beginning to whisper to her, somehow being heard in spite of the chaotic storm in her mind. It was a calming, curious presence that was both hers and not. It was saying something ludicrous, imploring she do little more than relax, to observe and listen. Amy fought as hard as she could to shut the suggestion out, arguing that it was an irrational thing to do. But the voice was prepared, arguing that it itself, in fact, was rationality trying to come through despite her current state of mind. It tempted her with the prospect of shutting out the distracting thoughts and emotions, consoling her with the idea of just taking in the world around her. It was so enticing, the concept of stopping the cascade of thoughts and clearing her head. But how? What could be done to escape herself? The answer came unexpectedly, in the form of whoever had been approaching as they pushed the curtain aside once again, entering the room.

"Good afternoon, Miss Espeon." A voice spoke to her. To say it was one of the most pleasant things she had ever heard would've been an understatement – it was as if the most pure and sacred forms of magic had been woven into that one simple greeting as it left the speaker's mouth. The sound gently worked its way into her, calming her heartbeat and unraveling her tense body. The clamor in her head all but stopped, leaving only a serene mindscape and the curious voice that was hers, yet somehow wasn't. It asked her to open her eyes, to reward herself with the gaze of whomever was speaking and take in the world with unbridled wonder. And so, with a deep breath and reinforced nerves, she did just that.

Much of the small room Amy found herself in had remained unchanged from when she had woken up previously. It was still built of plain wood, still contained the same potted plant and bookshelf, but the way the room was lit seemed a bit different from what it had been seemingly moments ago. Perhaps it was from the sunlight filtering into the room from another point in the sky, but more likely than not, it was from both the metaphorical and literal glow of the divine creature who quietly made herself at home in the room alongside her.

It appeared human, at least in its overall build, but it was very obvious that this wasn't the case, not even close. Its skin was as white as the fresh snows of winter, with a band of vibrant green running across its chest, running all the way down to its arms, which were tipped with only three digits. It also had hair, or some other equivalent, that sat curled and bobbed atop its head, also colored the same luscious green. A fin-like object was also protruding out of its chest, and while the object certainly held a strange and mystifying air about it, it wasn't what drew Amy's attention. Rather, she found herself fixated on the beautiful gown that flowed around her slender form as it was caught in the ceaseless breeze that entered the room. It emerged from her waistline with no trace of a seam, and once the realization dawned on her that it was actually an extension of her body rather than a garment in and of itself, she couldn't help but wonder whether or net this creature's entire body was crafted from silk the likes of which she had neither seen nor felt before.

"Are you..." Amy began, only to trail off as she became lost in the glittering ruby eyes that locked with her own. Hardly able to pull herself together, she stumbled over the words a few more times before her question came out as intended. "Are you an angel? Am I actually dead?"

The being seemed to hesitate, gently raising an arm to prop under its chin in a thoughtful manner as it contemplated the question with the grace and poise of some kind of fairy-tale princess.

"I think whether or not I'm this 'angel' is a decision best left to you." SHe finally answered with a soft smile, her voice as pleasant as anything Amy had ever heard. "As for being dead, I doubt that we would be having this conversation if you weren't among the living." She then crossed her arms, shifting her features to a look that made Amy more than a little uncomfortable. "Although I am a bit concerned that you'd ask about whether or not you're alive, when any other mother-to-be would've asked about the child they're carrying."

Amy felt her heart stop as her eyes widened to what must have been the size of saucers. How could she have forgotten so easily?! Hot shame and guilt overtook her, only to be quickly washed away by the strange sea of calm that had mysteriously took control of her mind. Not even questioning if that was normal, she looked down at her alien body, vaguely afraid of what she might see, or rather, what she wouldn't. But the vague fear quickly melted into relief as she realized that she was, miraculously, still with child. Her furry abdomen was swollen much in the way that a dog's would be right before giving birth to a litter of pups. In thinking so, she couldn't help but wonder whether or not the only child she had been carrying had now become a full litter rivaling that of any house pet. On that note, if she had been transformed, didn't the same hold true for her unborn child? She was brought away from her morbid musings as the angelic creature moved closer to where she still lay. Carefully, she sat down before her, making sure to adjust and smooth out the flowing gown as she did so. Once more Amy's eyes were lost in an ever-expansive sea of ruby as the creature continued to speak.

"I didn't mean to make you think something was wrong with your child." she reassured with an apologetic look. "My sense of humor can be a bit... uncouth, for lack of a better word."

She paused for a moment before suddenly clapping her hands together, "Anyways, seeing as how you're awake, why don't we introduce ourselves? My name is Gallia, I'm one of the only Gardevoir you'll find this close to Ridan, as well as the only Pokémon capable of healing others here in Merri Village."

Amy blinked, letting all of what she had just heard sink in. She found herself staring through the creature before her as she mulled everything over. Ridan? Merri Village? She'd never heard of either of these places, yet this being – or Gallia, rather – spoke as though they were the center of their world, but then again, people often did that with the places they were most familiar with. What really caught Amy's ear, however, was what Gallia had said between those things. Had she really just said that she was a _Pokémon_? Like the kind in the games that the kids played? She wanted to laugh at the "Gardevoir", to tell her that she was crazy, just as insane as she surely was right now, but the calming presence told her otherwise. As ridiculous as it all sounded, there were still truth to the words. So instead, she just thought hard, going over what had been said again and again. It was simply too difficult to make heads or tails of everything at the moment. The only thing she was certain of was that her waking up like this was wrong, and that someone had to be made aware of it. Her mind made up, Amy decided to do just that, starting by returning Gallia's introduction.

"My name's, uh, Amy... Amy Miller. It's a pleasure...?" Amy spoke, cringing at how she once again fumbled her own words. But Gallia seemed pleased enough, if her unchanged demeanor was any indication.

"Oh, that's quite an unusual name for someone like yourself, and is that a surname I heard? Does that make you related to nobility?" Gallia's eyes were alight with curiosity as she searched for a better sense of whom she was dealing with.

"N-No, I'm not nobility," Amy replied quickly, trying to become more acclimated to the conversation, "that's just the name I was born with. It's a normal hu-"

She cut herself off. Was it actually safe to tell this strange creature – no, Pokémon – that she was human? Would Gallia freak out? Would she even believe it if she did tell her? Even with the unnatural calmness in her head, it was suddenly impossible to decide what she should and shouldn't say to her. It was frustrating, yet she could hardly feel any frustration at all, which only frustrated her even more, feeding into a vicious circle of negative emotion that was trying desperately to both exist and not at the same time. Was this Pokémon the source of what was going on with her psyche?

"Are you... messing with my mind?" Amy asked, abruptly changing the subject to immediate effect. The Gardevoir tensed and suddenly looked a lot less certain of herself. Amy could tell that she was trying to come up with some sort of response, but what it would be still eluded her. Gallia opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, bit her lip, and then opened it again, seeming to speak very carefully.

"I may be using my powers to affect your emotions and keep your thoughts clear," She answered slowly, much to Amy's initial surprise – which again, was being suppressed. "But it wasn't without good reason, I swear on it! Your emotional state is very unstable, and with my being an empath, I wouldn't be able to do my job properly unless I have your feelings under control... Well, the negative ones, at least."

Gallia took a deep breath and waited, only to be met with an uneasy silence. Amy wasn't sure what kind of response the Gardevoir was expecting, perhaps a chastising patient that would have berated her for doing such a thing, or maybe a fit of anger that would just be subdued by whatever power was being exerted on her. But judging by the confused look that overtook her features, the Pokémon certainly wasn't expecting the awestruck look that Amy could feel herself giving.

"Wow... that's – just wow," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper, "you can actually do that sort of thing; change how people are feeling, like some sort of mind master?"

Gallia's confused expression remained unchanged as what had been said finally began to register. Her mouth became a thin line, looking Amy up and down as if appraising her for something that she could've glanced over.

"Yes," she said with a graceful nod, having seemed to recover quickly from the sudden change in conversation, "if you want to put it that plainly, I can make other Pokémon feel certain emotions if I concentrate on what they're feeling."

"Wow." Amy repeated simply.

Gallia gave another nod, "I take it that you haven't spent much time with Psychic types, have you? That's odd, considering that you're an Espeon – and so young too. Could you tell me more about yourself? You're definitely an interesting one. Oh, and if you wish for me to dispel my influence over your emotions, you need not more than ask; I believe that I can manage without it."

Amy fell silent once more, still not quite sure how to respond. This was her chance to tell Gallia what was going on, that she wasn't an "Espeon" as the Gardevoir claimed her to be, much less a creature born of this world. But she was once again faced with the same questions of whether or not what she said would be harmful or even be taken seriously. There was so much she didn't know, variables she couldn't account for, and questions that she was unsure of how to ask.

 _You're overthinking everything,_ a thought chastised, _she asked if you could tell her more about you, so just tell her everything – you can trust her, leave no stone unturned!_

It was impossible to tell whether or not that line of thought had come from her own mind, or if it was just a product of Gallia's influence. But it was hard to argue against either way. Gallia seemed to have been truthful when asked about what she was doing. She could've easily lied to her ot worse, but she didn't. That meant something, right? And besides, what if Amy didn't tell anything? She knew nothing about this place, knew practically nothing about Pokémon, and wasn't even sure if she could make it two steps out of the room. One way of another, someone would find out that something about her was wrong, and then what? In reality, telling her what was happening was the best course of action.

"Umm, you can keep doing whatever you're doing to my emotions," Amy finally answered, resigned to what she was going to say, "I think I'm going to need it for what I'm about to tell you."

"Oh?" Gallia replied, her brilliant eyes focusing intently on her, "And what would that be?"

Amy took a deep breath. She wasn't afraid, only hesitant. But she had initiated this track of the conversation and there was no going back now.

"I'm not where I'm supposed to be." Amy began, looking the Gardevoir straight in the face. "As in, I don't think this is my world – no, I _know_ that this isn't my world. I'm not supposed to be this... 'Espeon' thing, I'm supposed to be a human, a dead one! I don't know what's going on, and your powers are the only thing keeping me from having a mental breakdown! I'm... I..."

She wasn't able to finish, once again choking on her words and sobbing like she had been doing at the bottom of the ravine. Why were her emotions suddenly out of control? It was only after rubbing the welling tears from her eyes that she realized Gallia's entire demeanor had completely changed.

The otherworldly example of beauty and poise that had been sitting before her moments ago was now gone, replaced with something that was similar, yet not. Gallia sat, eyes wide as she absorbed what had been said. She seemed uncertain – afraid even – about what she had just heard.

"That's impossible..."

Hearing those words hurt Amy more than she could've ever imagined. This was it: she had somehow screwed up and made another careless mistake. Through bleary eyes, she watched as Gallia rose to her feet and smoothed out the gown that flowed from her body. What she had said to the Pokémon had been more than enough to drive her away, and now she once more without anything other than pain.

The pain of loss.

Slowly, the Gardevoir began to back away, moving towards the curtain that separated them from the rest of an uncertain world. Gallia looked hesitantly at the fluttering sheet that danced with the breeze, before turning back to face Amy with a perturbed look.

"I'll be back in due time," she said curtly, "I need a few moments to gather myself. In the meantime, please stay in this room if at all possible. If not for your sake, then for that of your child's."

And with that, Gallia moved the curtain aside and walked out of the room at a brisk pace.

That was the day Amy Miller lived.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And so it begins...**

 **Hello guys and gals! It is I, the one and only Joshy! And what you've just read was my first attempt to write anything in quite a while. So it goes without saying that the first steps here are shaky and bound to stumble, but I'm determined to leave my mark on this site and write a fan fiction worth reading. I don't have any upload schedules in mind for this thing. Hell, I'm pretty much writing this story on a whim. But I have a good idea on where I want to go with this story. Let's just hope that I can deliver.**

 **Anyways, be sure to leave a review if you have any constructive criticism that could help me tweak the story and/or writing style. Anything would be appreciated so long as it isn't a straight up attack on me. Also, don't hesitate to point out typos to me. I'm constantly working to make this story as clean as possible, and since I have no proofreaders (and have no intention of getting any), a lot of mistakes slip past me and have to be fixed after the fact.**

 **Chapter Trivia:**

 **At first glance, the premise of this story may seem to be unoriginal, and perhaps it is. But despite it appearing to draw inspiration from other works on this site such as ScytheRider's** ** _Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Silver Resistance_** **or Anshee-Rose's** ** _I Became a Vulpix_** **, the idea of the main protagonist becoming a Pokémon and being pulled into a world full of these monsters is the only common ground intended to be shared. Much of what you'll be seeing within these chapters may be loosely inspired by a few fantasy web serials that I enjoy reading.**

 **And I believe that I've gone on long enough. Have a great day, and see ya next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A Home Like No Other**

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

The sun was beginning to set upon the strange and unfamiliar world, painting the sky with dreamy shades of red and orange that melted seamlessly together as Amy watched the shadows crawl across the room. She noted how the darkness seemed to emerge from everywhere at once, twisting and clawing in a desperate attempt to grasp things it could never hope to hold on to. With a hollow sigh, she shifted once more atop the pillow she had first woken up on, resting on her haunches like some sort of animal. If the scene before her was supposed to be some elaborate metaphor on fate's behalf, then she wasn't amused.

It felt as if everything was moving at half-speed since Gallia had more or less ran out of the room, promising to "be back in due time". So far, what time had passed was proving to be the most grueling and difficult she had ever experienced. And without the Gardevoir there to work her emotional magic, there was nothing that could take the edge off of Amy's suffering. From burying her face in the pillow and bawling her eyes out, to angrily cursing every god she could think of to eternal damnation, she must have went through every emotional fit imaginable several times over. And now? Now she just felt empty. Just like when she had been drawing closer to the end. There was no anger, no tears, not even pain, it was just a numbing void that tore at her chest, twisting... clawing...

She flicked her eyes towards one of the shadows, the one casted by the potted plant. Had it just moved? She stared at the distorted silhouette as it snaked threateningly across the floor. There was a sudden breeze, ruffling the curtain in the doorway as it blew through the room. The potted plant swayed with the wind, and so did its shadow.

"Heh... heheh, I think I'm starting to lose it," Amy said, letting out a quiet chuckle, "it's just the wind, nothing to worry about."

She sat there for several seconds, wearing a stupid grin on her face before it slid into a frown. The breeze had stopped and now it was ominously quiet throughout the room and what she assumed to be the rest of whatever building she was in. There were no footsteps, no ticking of a clock, not even the rustling of any plants outside. Only a deafening silence poised to swallow her whole and drive her to madness. She knew she had to fight it all, to destroy the silence and combat the nothingness worming through her being. What she needed right now was a distraction, something to keep her occupied for even a second, but what?

She turned her head about, taking in the features of the room for what could've easily been for the hundredth time by now. There was the curtain that hid the rest of the world away from her, the potted plant that towered over her new stature, the open window which sat far too high to actually peek out of, the plush pillow she still had yet to move from, and the bookshelf...

"Oh... books."

Sure enough, there were a handful of books placed neatly on the shelves of the remarkably plain cabinet. She wasn't sure if she could reach the upper shelves, but the books that sat on the bottom were at eye level and could certainly be pulled out to read. She tried to stand up as she normally would, only to lose her balance and plop back down onto the pillow.

"Right, I'm supposed to be a four-legged freak."

Carefully, Amy pushed herself back up again, this time into the proper stance of a quadruped, and inspected herself. She couldn't help but feel a pit form in her stomach as she took in the sea of fur and the unusual tail that still twitched intermittently. _Pokémon_. The word echoed through her mind like a recording stuck on infinite repeat. How was this possible? How was any of this real?

Amy shook her head to chase away the questions. She couldn't afford to keep asking those sort of things. She had to fight the emptiness trying to make its home within her. Tearing her gaze away from the rest of her body and looking down, she was met with her new forelegs that sunk a few inches into the plush surface of the pillow. Lifting it up, she carefully moved it about to get a feel for how it could and couldn't move. She extended it fully, retracted it to her chest, tried to twist her wrist, and any number of other motions she could think to try out. She came to the conclusion that it was more flexible than the front leg of a dog or cat, but was severely lacking in the free-ranging motion that her human arm had. Gingerly, she extended the foreleg once more and moved it forwards, setting it down on the wooden floorboards just beyond the pillow. She got no further than that before realizing that there was a major flaw in her quest towards the bookshelf.

She had absolutely no idea how to walk on all fours.

The idea of walking was simple enough: put one leg in front of the other and just move. But somehow, doubling the number of limbs that she had to move just made everything seem so complicated. She had one foot forward, but what next? Even without an audience, Amy could already feel her face growing hot from embarrassment.

 _Just get on with it,_ she told herself, _choose a leg and move it forward. It shouldn't be rocket science!_

She had put forth her left front leg, so she moved her right rear next. It felt terribly awkward, but she pushed on, moving closer to the shelf. Right front leg, re

* * *

ar left leg, front right leg, rear left-

"Miss Amy, are you well?"

The voice gave Amy a start, nearly making her fall over as her concentration was broken. Awkwardly, she turned herself towards where the voice had come from. Standing in the doorway with the curtain pushed aside was Gallia. She was holding a rock covered in what looked to be moss and still appeared the same as when Amy had confessed to being human: distracted and apprehensive, but she also seemed to have recomposed herself. Still beautiful in her own right, but not divine as she had been earlier. Just a Pokémon. But right now, anything could be useful in keeping herself distracted from the void forming in her chest.

"Ah, were you in the middle of something?" Gallia asked, "If you were then I could-"

"N-No, it's okay," Amy said quickly, cutting the Gardevoir off mid-sentence, "I was just about to look at these books to take my mind off of things."

Gallia cast a glance at the bookshelf, as if noticing it for the first time. "Oh, of course... the books..."

An awkward silence overtook the room as the two just stood there, staring dumbly at one another as they did so. The spell seemed to go on for far too long until it was finally broken by Amy, who sat back down on her haunches and quietly cleared her throat.

"Do you, uh, believe what I told you earlier?" Amy asked, her voice meek.

Gallia frowned deeply, suddenly finding it hard to make eye contact.

"The answer to that question is a little complicated." Gallia finally confessed, still refusing to meet Amy's gaze. "When you told me that you were this... 'human' creature you spoke of, I wasn't sure what to believe. I would think such an idea to be impossible: a being that I've never heard of – and assume to not be a Pokémon at all – dying and becoming that which they weren't supposed to be... I just can't bring myself to find such a thing to be true..."

She trailed off and swallowed hard, suddenly grasping at her gown with balled fists, before finally looking Amy dead in the eyes.

"Yet I knew you were being truthful; I could see it in your eyes and sense it in your intention. You weren't trying to deceive me in any way, and the fact that you couldn't have been lying is what scares me most. That's why I'm here now, because there's one final question I must ask."

Amy couldn't help but return Gallia's stare, what she had said wasn't exactly reassuring to hear.

"And what would that be?" Amy asked warily.

Without so much as a warning, Gallia raised an arm and the room darkened further as the shutters to the open window in the room were swung closed. A lump formed in Amy's throat as, in the newfound darkness, the otherworldly form of the Gardevoir stood with a soft violet glow coming from her eyes and an ethereal blue-green light emanating from her other arm – coming straight from the moss that covered the small rock she held. With all the elegance of a ballroom dancer, this entirely new creature placed the stone on the ground and moved across the room to gracefully sat in the same manner as she had earlier, mere inches away from where the stunned human was.

"I apologize if I startled you, but I had to secure every door and window. There must be no witnesses to this, apart from you and I. What I'm about to request is taboo amongst our kind."

She paused to take a deep breath.

"I ask for consent to look into your memories so that I may see the life you once lived. It's important – no, imperative that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're being truthful, as well as know what I'm getting myself into by keeping you as my patient. Do I have permission to enter your mind for the first and only time?"

Amy was stunned into silence, could she really just look into her mind? Just how powerful were Pokémon? Part of her suddenly felt afraid; if something had the power to read minds and see memories, not to mention affect emotions and move objects with a flick of their hands, then how safe was she by just staying here? Or better yet, what horrors could possibly await her if she were to run away from this place? She had a child to protect, after all.

On the other hand, there was a part of her that, admittedly, felt a twinge of excitement at the prospect of having her mind probed. It was that inner child she had thought long dead with the passage of time, the part of her that had believed in magic and superheroes, the part that had been devastated to find out that these things didn't exist. It had been roiling inside of her since she had first seen the Gardevoir, and now it was finally making itself known once more, ready and eager to meet a _real_ psychic! Regardless of how she felt, there was really only one answer to Gallia's question.

"You have permission to do whatever you need to." Amy answered after a few moments, not at all surprised at how her voice quivered from the mix of fear and excitement.

Gallia gave a serious nod. "Very well, and thank you for allowing me to enter your mind on such little notice. Most other Pokémon wouldn't be pleased to undergo a Psychic type's scrutiny, no matter how much time they had to prepare."

Amy couldn't help but give the smallest of smiles, "I guess that means I'm not like most Pokémon."

"That's quite the comment," Gallia replied, letting a small laugh escape before growing serious once more, " but enough of that, if we really wish to do this, I need for you to follow two simple instructions so that we may begin. First, I need you to clear your head of all strings of thought so that I may establish a strong link between our minds. Do what you must to focus on not thinking, as strange as that may sound."

Amy took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying as hard as she could to stop thinking and keep her mind from wandering. It was a lot harder than she would've considered; with every thought she tried to quell, three others would seem to appear from nowhere. As time went on, however, she became more and more aware of a strange... presence that made itself at home in her head. It was hard to put a finger on where this strange feeling was originating from, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was probably Gallia entering the confines of her psyche. After a few more seconds of this, the feeling began to ebb into nothing, and Amy opened her eyes to look at the Gardevoir. She appeared to be a bit winded, but she was otherwise unchanged.

"That was a bit harder than I thought it would be," Gallia said with a grunt, "your mind has a lot of of noise. You must have quite the active imagination. Anyways, the hardest part is over for the both of us, the rest falls upon you. Now that there's an established link between us, you have to do little more than remember your past. It can be any memory you want it to, but be aware that once you start, my influence will take over and we will both be flooded with your past experiences."

Amy gave a quick nod and once again closed her eyes, concentrating hard on her past. What should she remember? Something pleasant perhaps, but maybe something that also showcased a bit of her world, seeing as how Gallia was so bent on seeing it for herself. It was several more moments before the perfect memory came to mind. With a wistful sigh, she focused on every detail she could remember.

And remember she did.

There was a sudden rush in her head, followed by the unmistakable feeling of vertigo as Amy suddenly found herself somewhere entirely different. Just like that, she was human again, transported back to the nostalgic locale of suburban Dallas. It was the summer of 2007 and her fourteenth birthday was only a few days away. Both she and her family had flown to her uncle's house to celebrate with a barbecue party "for the ages". Of course, the party itself never turned out to be anything special, but it was during those few days that she had so many great experiences. From meeting the girl who would eventually grow to be one of her closest friends, to messing around with her uncle's brand new iPhone as he bragged about how it would change the world. And of course, there was the family photo with everyone standing with the skyline behind them. So many memorable experiences.

The world began to shift, and Amy now found herself in a world of spinning memories coming and going all on their own. Was this what Gallia had meant by her influence taking over? One second she was twelve again, singing in the school talent show because she'd lost a bet, the next she and her friends were juniors in high school taking a summer road trip to tour the east coast. It all felt so real, as if she were actually reliving everything, but it was happening all so fast! She found herself staring into a young man's eyes and falling in love for the first time, only to be in her room moments later as she wept over her heartbreak. The world spun, and she had met her second love, only to be lied to and used only for his pleasure. She suddenly found herself sitting alone in her apartment, vowing never to love again after he vanished from the face of the Earth, leaving only her and the unborn child she now carried. The world shifted one last time and she fast-forwarded to a few months later. She was driving a Suburban down a wet mountain road, she looked down at her purse, glanced back up...

And then she died...

Without warning, Amy violently snapped out of her memories to find herself back in the small room. THere was a loud gasp, and Gallia fell backwards onto the floor. She could hear the Gardevoir take shaky breaths as she lay motionless for what felt like several minutes. Just as Amy was about to make a move towards her and see if she was even conscious, the Pokémon in question began to stir and pick herself off of the ground. In the otherworldly glow coming from the moss, Amy could see something in her eyes as she leaned against the wall for support. A spark, something that was both wonder and horror at the same time. Her face was somehow even more pale than it had been before, and she could've sworn that she was shaking.

"Incredible," Gallia said breathlessly, "I just – wow, I have no words to describe what I've just witnessed. Despite all the heartache and tragedy leading up to this point, I must say that your world is so... breathtaking! How could such things even exist?!"

"W-Well..." Amy stammered, at a loss for how to properly reply to the sudden question. "We just sort of made them, y'know? If every Pokémon is as incredible as you are, then that would make humans pretty weak. But even though we're weak, I guess we make up for it in cleverness. We're always trying to build things that can make doing other things easier and stuff. Umm... Does that mean that this world has none of that? No cars? No big cities?"

Gallia shook her head fervently. "No... well, not exactly. There are certainly impressive cities scattered throughout the kingdom, but nothing like those glass towers I'd seen, or were they crystal? And while we often resort to carts or wagons to carry many goods, there are no modes of transportation like what I'd witnessed and what you may be accustomed to."

Amy let out a thoughtful hum as the gears in her head began to turn. A kingdom? So was this place like some kind of medieval world in terms of structure and technology? Then again, it could also be like any monarchal society before the twentieth century. The idea of seeing strange and unimaginable creatures dressed in colonial era clothing was interrupted as Gallia pushed off the wall and stood straight once again.

"Ah, Miss Amy, would you like something to eat or drink? I'm more than certain that waiting on my return has left you famished."

Amy hesitated, the idea of getting something to eat had hardly been a concern at the time, but at the mere mention of something edible, her stomach took over and she found herself more than a little hungry.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I'm starving. Umm, what is there to eat around hear? I'm assuming a steak dinner would be a bit too much to ask."

Gallia's eyes widened, "Steak? Such a cut of meat is terribly expensive, not to mention that there are no shepherds tending to any feral Miltank or Tauros for miles. No, what I have is a simple assortment of berries – Oran and Pecha. They aren't much, but it should suffice until I can more properly feed you in the morning."

Amy grimaced, she wasn't sure what Miltank or Tauros were, but if she had to guess, they were likely this world's equivalent to cows. Regardless, she at the very least had something to hold her over. Although she was a bit concerned. A bowl of berries? Would that really be enough considering she had to eat for two? She voiced her concern to the Gardevoir, who looked on in bemusement.

"I assure you that these berries will be enough to keep you filled overnight," Gallia said, "here, allow me to get the bowls, I left them just outside the room."

Gallia disappeared behind the curtain leading outside for all of five seconds before she returned with two large earthen bowls in hand. The first was just filled with water, but Amy's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she stared down the second bowl that held the so called "berries", they were certainly larger than she'd expected. Sure, part of it may have been because she had shrunk down to the size of a dog, but they seemed abnormally large even when compared to the much taller Pokémon standing before her. And there was a whole bowl of them!

"Okay then... I think I have to take back what I said." Amy admitted. "THose are waaay bigger than the ones back home. They might actually do something for me."

Gallia let out a soft chuckle as she approached, setting the food and water down next to the pillow in the center of the room. Slowly and awkwardly, Amy moved closer to the berries to inspect them in what little light was coming from the moss. The majority of the "berries" that she saw were blue – but they were definitely not blueberries. They appeared to be roughly an inch an a half in diameter, with a strange stem on top and a rough, glossy peel that reminded her of an orange... a blue one. There was also another kind that was slightly larger and had a bulbous shape to it. It was a dark pink color with a splash of lighter pink towards the tip. Because of the leaves on the stem, she couldn't help but be reminded of a strawberry. She had to admit they both looked delicious to her hungry eyes.

Tenderly, she reached an arm forward to grab at one, only to pause as she remembered that she had no hands to actually grab with. Her chest suddenly felt tight as the realization dawned on her that she had to eat and drink from the bowls like an animal. She made the slightest movement to move her head closer to the oversized food, but found that she just couldn't bring herself to doing it. She could feel her face beginning to heat up again as she just stood there, staring at the bowl of berries like it was about to try and eat her first. Gallia stood quietly, before the scene suddenly clicked.

"Oh, that's right," Gallia said, "you're used to consuming food and drink with a body that's similar to mine, aren't you? There's nothing to be ashamed of in regards to eating without arms. Neither I nor any decent Pokémon would ever judge you for doing so. That's just how quadrupeds naturally eat and drink."

Amy nodded half-heartedly, inching ever closer to the food. Upon sticking her nose closer, she was nearly overwhelmed by their scent as it wafted through the air; it was sweet and oh so enticing. Had her sense of smell gotten better? It wouldn't have surprised her at this point if it had. She gave the skin of one of the not-blueberries an experimental lick, only to there was no flavor there. It again was similar to an orange in that regard. Without giving herself time to second guess, she swooped in and grabbed the berry in her mouth, only now beginning to realize that the shape of her entire mouth had changed along with the rest of her body. She carefully positioned it so that the unusual stem was protruding from her mouth, allowing her to bite down and sever it from the rest of the fruit.

The flavor was unlike anything she'd ever tasted. The orange-like peel was thin, yet firm, and as she tore into the fleshy inside of the berry, it exploded in her mouth, flooding her palette with an intense juice that nearly moved her to tears. There was so much going on with how it tasted that she couldn't fully process it all with just one berry. Without hesitation, she pounced on the next berry, letting her hunger and curiosity take hold as she scarfed the next one down with no regard for etiquette. The not-blueberry was mostly sweet, yet there was a myriad of subtle flavors that were almost too many to count. A faint tartness that was almost unnoticeable, with an aftertaste that was faintly bitter and astringent – not unlike that of a watered down cranberry. She began to slow down after the sixth one, taking more time to savor it. Almost on instinct, she began wondering what all could be done with this exotic flavor.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Gallia commented. "Do you not have Oran Berries where you come from?"

"Nope." Amy replied... or at least she would've, if she already hadn't gone for another berry. Instead she simply shook her head as she held another berry – this time one of the pink one – in her mouth. The skin was tender and the flesh almost seemed to melt as she chewed. To say it was sweet would've been an understatement. As she swallowed the fruit, she was reminded of the one time she took a swig of the syrup used to make snow cones. It tasted good, once more with a unique flavor she couldn't quite place, but she still preferred the "Oran".

"Well," Gallia began, breaking the short silence as Amy stuck out her tongue to awkwardly begin lapping at the water, "seeing as how we've gotten food out of the way, I thought it would be best to explain to you what we'll be doing tomorrow."

Amy nearly choked, coughing on what little water she had manages to get in her mouth. "T-Tomorrow? What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Not too much." Gallia reassured. "But seeing as how you're a new face around here – put lightly, of course – I feel obligated to give you a tour of Merri Village after we've finished breakfast. It shouldn't take long considering how small it is, but I'll also be accompanying you so that I can answer any questions you may have about this world and any discrepancies you'll undoubtedly find. Afterwards, I would like to speak with you about what could be done to possibly learn more about the events that led to both you and your child appearing here."

Amy's breath caught as she took in this information. True, what Gallia said indeed wasn't much, but there were a lot of implications hidden just beneath the surface.

"...That's a lot to take in at once," Amy said, not even attempting to hide her sudden anxiety, "are you sure this is a good idea? What if someone else finds out that I'm not actually a Pokémon? And what was with that last bit? Are you saying that you know a way to to fix... whatever's going on with me and my baby?"

Gallia paused before answering, picking her words carefully, "No, I don't have a solution for fixing such a problem as yours, though I may have an idea on where to begin searching for answers. As for being inconspicuous, I wouldn't worry too much about other Pokémon learning that you're some creature from another world – such an idea sounds outlandish to begin with, and even I thought nothing suspicious of you until you actually told me what you are."

"But what about Pokémon like you?" Amy inquired. "Ones that can see into minds and stuff?"

Amy wasn't expecting the Gardevoir to begin chuckling to herself. "I mean you no offense Miss Amy, but there is much for you to learn about our kind. You needn't worry about Psychic types breaching your thoughts. My beloved is the only other Psychic Pokémon in the village, not to mention that there is a strict code of chivalry around the use of our abilities that we pride ourselves on following. Without it, we would be worse than any Dark type."

With a sigh, Amy relented. She had no idea what a Dark type was, but Gallia's words helped to ease her worries – if only just a little. After all, the idea of leaving the room and meeting other creatures was one that made her quite nervous. Not once in her life had she ever known a Pokémon that wasn't Pikachu, and because of that, she had no idea what to expect when seeing and interacting with them. A part of her wanted to just hide away from it all, but that other half – the inner child that was beginning to resurrect itself, was making her feel antsy at the chance of meeting more living, breathing Pokémon.

"Anyways," Gallia said, once again breaking Amy from her train of thought, "it's beginning to grow late, and I have no doubts that your day has been a long and tiring one. I'll be out of your fur for the remainder of the evening, so by all means, make yourself as comfortable as you can. I'll leave the Luminous Moss sitting on the floor for convenience, and if you feel as though sleep will be impossible, simply say the word mow and I can put you to sleep with my abilities."

Amy felt her brows snap together in thought. Putting people to sleep? That was another thing to add to the list beginning to form of terrifying and incredible things these creatures were capable of. Amy wasn't too worried about a sleepless night per se, but there was something more important that Gallia may be able to help with.

"I don't think I need help sleeping, but thanks for offering," Amy replied, trying to fight how embarrassed she suddenly felt, "but I do have a quick question."

"And what would you have of me?" Gallia asked.

Amy bit her lip. "I... have absolutely no idea if I'm walking like I'm supposed to or not. Could you, uh, watch me and see if I'm doing something wrong?"

"Ah, of course," Gallia nodded. "I remember how you approached the food just a moment ago. I can already tell you that you're stepping wrong. Again, you have nothing to be ashamed of given the circumstances."

Amy still couldn't help but feel a blush crawl onto her face regardless. She watched on as Gallia seemed to be concentrating on something, a thought perhaps, or a memory.

"If I recall," she continued, "Fury – he's the Flareon you met earlier – usually starts by first putting his left rear leg forward, then his left front leg. After that, he mirrors the movement on his right side, and finally repeats the cycle for a proper walk."

Taking the Gardevoir's word for it, Amy once again stood up from where she had sat down to eat and stretched her new legs. She experimentally placed her left rear leg forward and followed suit with her left foreleg. It still felt strange, but also disturbingly natural – it wasn't unlike walking with two legs, except that the rear legs acted as the heel of a foot, while the forelegs acted as the the ball. Just like that, Amy was taking a slow lap around the small room. It was a bit tricky to turn, but she was sure she could get the hang of it with a bit of practice. Walking, it was such a trivial thing, yet doing so was beginning to make her feel a bit better about everything that had happened today. More sure of herself.

"Is that all you'll need for tonight?" Gallia asked, turning her head to follow as Amy moved about the room.

"I... I think so," Amy replied as she passed the bookshelf, "unless you wanna read me a story to help me fall asleep."

Gallia snorted. "Well, it's nice to see that you're keeping a sense of humor after everything that's happened. Perhaps you'll acclimate just fine to this world yet. But in the meantime, I suppose that I should be off, entering your mind and glimpsing your memories have left me more drained than I thought, and sleeping is certainly a tantalizing thought. I'll see you in the morning as soon as I can, then we can eat breakfast. Does that sound fair?"

"Mhm." Amy nodded. "sounds like a good plan if I've ever heard one."

Gallia gave a smile and returned the nod. "Very well then, good night Miss Amy. I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Gallia was off, turning around with the same elegance as when she had first came in, seeming to twirl around the curtain as she pushed past it before disappearing around a corner into the darkness. And just like that, she was alone once again – trapped in a world of emptiness that was ruled by the twisting shadows cast by the ethereal glow of the strange moss that had been left behind. The distraction had passed and what little emotion she had started to feel was seeping away. Was it because of the Gardevoir's influence? Probably not, she felt unaltered throughout the whole interaction. Regardless, she was back at square one to fend off the darkness that preyed on her thoughts.

She wasn't sure how long she had stood motionless in that same spot, but she eventually returned to the pillow and barely finished her food before laying down. She wasn't tired physically, but the same couldn't be said for her mental and emotional states. And as she lay there, observing the darkness as it grew ever closer, a thought dawned on her: she had probably made a friend in Gallia, a single point of light in a day that was nothing but darkness. It was something, but was it enough?

An eternity passed, and Amy finally fell asleep to the deafening silence of shadows. Twisting... Clawing...

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well, here it is ladies and gentlemen, the second chapter to this little story of mine. I'm gonna be honest here, I really don't like how this one turned out. The whole point of this chapter was to try and flesh out Amy a bit before I begin introducing other characters and dropping her into the world proper, but I feel as though it failed to deliver. In hindsight, I probably should've combined this with Chapter 1, but I wasn't sure if I was capable of holding everyone's attention for about 10k words. But regardless of how everything turned out, I still hope that you at least enjoyed some parts of the chapter and that you provide feedback.**

 **And again, don't hesitate to send me a PM listing any typos you may have found in this chapter.**

 **Review Reply:**

 **Kurama, sky7, and E: I'm glad you enjoyed reading the first chapter!**

 **TheForge64: Nope, this story isn't dead, in fact, things are just getting started!**

 **NanobotEX: Ah, there you are! I was happy to see that you decided to take the time and look this fic over. I wholeheartedly appreciate the review and have taken your advice to heart. Here's to hoping I can actually put it into practice from here on out, lol.**

 **Chapter Trivia:**

 **This chapter had a bit of impromptu research going into it. I had to check and double check the Bulbapedia pages for the berries in Amy's bowl and then write how I think it would feel and taste to actually eat them. I also had to look up how quadrupeds walked, verifying what I found by watching cats and dogs walk in slow motion.**

 **And with that, I'll see ya next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A Home Like No Other**

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

The air was cold and stale. It was an odd thing to notice, regardless of one's situation, but that's the first thing Amy took note of as she awoke from her restless slumber. Her whole body felt stiff – sore even, but it wasn't anything that a good massage couldn't handle. She shifted a bit on the hard bed she lay on before finally reaching up and pushing the thin blanket off of her.

Still only half-awake, she let out a silent groan as she felt the blanket fall off the bed and onto the floor. She cracked open an eye, only to have it stabbed by the piercing lights hanging overhead. She groaned again, rubbing at her eyes as she sat up and glanced around the room. It was bright, with walls painted a stark white and fluorescent lights that dared any shadow to even exist. There were what looked like examination tables mounted on the walls every few steps, but what was most interesting was how the room seemed to quite literally go on forever towards the left. The other direction, however, was quite normal in that there was a wall that ended in a heavy looking double door. Amy went to rub at her eyes one more time, relishing how it felt to have a human arm and a human hand in which to perform the action. That's when her breath caught as the realization finally dawned on her.

She was human!

It was true. Every part of her was human again. There were no paws, only hands and feet. And where fine lilac fur had been seemingly seconds ago, only bare skin remained. Had it all been a dream the whole time? But it felt so real. She continued her self-examination, taking note at how pristine her body looked; there were no apparent injuries to her person – not even any scars remained from the crash. That was a bit odd. Going off of a gut feeling, she pinched her arm, only to be met with a sharp pain. That meant that this was real... right? She glanced towards the left, watching as the examination tables stretched on towards the horizon. Things weren't adding up, and it was really starting to put her off. But the perturbation became panic as she took another look at herself and noticed something of grest importance: beneath the thin fabric of the plain hospital gown tied around her was a perfectly flat tummy.

 _Where was her baby?!_

Just like that, Amy flung herself off of the examination table she had been on and onto the cold tile below. She wobbled and swayed a bit as she regained her balance, looking around wildly for any signs of life. But there was none to be found. Something was _wrong_!

"Hello?" She called out in near hysterics, "Is anyone here? Please, I need help!"

No response.

Still looking about, Amy's eyes were eventually drawn to the heavy double door that sat imposingly within its frame, staring both her and the infinite room down with its unwavering presence. Seeing no better option, she ran towards the door, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process. She put her hands on the crash bars and pushed them open with a bit of effort. Stepping through the doorframe and out of what could only have been a morgue, she was met with what looked like any other hallway inside of a hospital. The walls were still a barren white, but with a much more smooth and seamless gray-blue tile, as opposed to the shower tiles lining the previous room. Turning her head to the right, she was met with a long stretch of hall that must've been at least a mile long. But when she turned her head left, she felt the color drain from her face and every hair on her body stand on end.

Darkness. It was an overwhelming presence that was darker than any moonless night she had ever seen, the absolute antithesis of light that mankind feared on the most primal of levels. But even that wasn't giving enough credit to the nightmarish shadow plaguing the opposite end of the hallway. Something else was there, waiting in the black that no light could peer into. Twisting... Clawing...

The infinitely dark hallway shifted, and the shadows moved. Whatever was in there had its eyes set on her and wasn't intending to let its prey escape. Every alarm in her head was going off, telling her to turn and run for her life, but Amy could only stand there with her feet frozen in place, caught like a deer in the headlights. The shadows moved again, and the darkness was suddenly an inch closer. She could now bear the sound of snowy static as it suddenly seemed to drone from everywhere at once, drawing closer alongside whatever lay at the end of the hall. Something in her mind finally clicked as the shadows crawled forward yet again, and she turned around to shoot off in a dead sprint.

Amy pumped her legs as hard as she could, listening as the deafening static grew louder and louder. She didn't dare look back, for fear of how close the surely pursuing shadows could've been. With her heart now racing and her legs beginning to burn from exertion, she continued her mad dash towards the second set of doors that sat at the end of the hallway. The strange noise continued to grow impossibly louder, but still she refused to look back. She could now begin to feel something nip at her bare feet as they pounded ever harder on the cold tile to push her away from the danger. In just a few more seconds, she had reached the doors, ramming her shoulder into the crash bar and sending her sprawling into the next room. Only, there was no next room.

Amy lay disoriented and gasping for breath on the muddy ground as she rolled onto her back, eyes darting around for any signs of what had been giving chase. However, instead of seeing a door bursting with malignant darkness, she now found herself staring into the stony faces of unmarked headstones. She was in a cemetery.

Shakily, Amy rose to her feet once more. The world around her was now shrouded in a deafening silence beneath an overcast sky; in fact, the only sounds she heard were that of her panting and the squashing of wet ground between her toes. What the actual hell was happening? This couldn't be reality, yet this somehow felt just as real as the morning she had climbed into the Suburban for the last time, or when she had woken up in a new world that shouldn't have even existed. Had she actually gone insane somehow? Just to be sure of it, she raised her hand to her face and slapped it across her cheek. There was a _crack_ as flesh met flesh and the young woman staggered, her vision being flooded with stars. It hurt, which shouldn't be possible in a dream. So _what_ was this?

Her eyes continued to train across her surroundings until they passed over the sight of an open grave with a simple casket that sat closed at its edge. There were a few rows of folding chairs set out in front of it and a short folding table covered with a cheap tablecloth and holding a bouquet arranged neatly alongside several framed pictures that she couldn't really see from her current viewing angel. It was a humble procession, but there was no one there to mourn the dead or even read scripture. A quiet death that no one would ever remember. Amy felt herself moving closer to the casket, if only to satisfy the morbid curiosity that had suddenly taken over her mind. Gone were all thoughts of what was happening or where her baby had gone; all she wanted to know was who's funeral tis was. As she stepped around to the front of the casket and stared into the printed faces in the photographs, she got an answer that made her blood run cold with ice.

It was for _her_! She snapped back into focus as her own eyes locked with the bright and lively hazel of her photographic copies. There were several pictures that she remembered, such as the one on the right with her parents right beside her, or the one next to it that had been taken on her graduation day, but there was one that caught her eye over all the others. Sitting in the center was an image of herself that she didn't recognize: she was on the ground, her features battered and frozen in a look of agony. There was a large, nasty cut on her cheek, a pool of blood forming beneath her head, and an eye that was swollen closed. Was this supposed to be her when she had been dying?

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she heard a creaking noise coming from the casket. Amy watched with baited breath, heart pounding rhythmically in her chest, as the lid began to slowly lift on its own. Her eyes widened in horror as she drank in the broken visage of her own body after she had crashed. Her clothes were in tatters, her skin was a ghostly white, and her body was covered in large gashes that had long since drained of blood. But it was what she held that made her cover her mouth to withhold a scream.

In the savaged and mangled arm of this copy was a bloody ball of flesh that was barely recognizable as human, but she knew right then and there that it was supposed to be the lifeless body of her own baby. She suddenly felt the urge to vomit, but her attention was torn away from the grizzly sight when she realized that this dead version of herself was still _moving_.

The copy's good arm was twitching intermittently, its glazed and vacant eyes flicking about before finally locking with her own. Amy felt a worming sensation in her stomach as her own dead hand reached out clumsily in a vain attempt to clasp her living one. There was a look in those lifeless eyes that she couldn't fully describe, but the hand was still reaching, still growing closer. The imposter's mouth was moving, but there were no words, only a strangled noise that sounded like a desperate wheeze. Closer still the hand reached, and then Amy wondered, just for one fleeting moment, what would happen if she were to touch it – to feel her own cold and lifeless skin in the palm of her hand. By the time she realized how twisted her thoughts were, it was too late. The corpse was now leaned over the side of the casket, the pale arm clutching her wrist with an iron grip. The sensation was indescribable, giving her entire body goosebumps before she was violently pulled across the table with surprising strength, sending its contents tumbling to the muddy ground as she found herself mere inches away from her own ghastly face.

Amy stared into her own dead eyes as the pale lips of her mirror tried to move once again. Now she finally recognized the emotion that was gracing the face that was supposed to be void of all things. Hatred. The copy's lips continued to work, finally making a coherent sentence for the first time since its death.

"This... This is all your fault..."

The voice was strained and raspy, but the spite was unmistakable. It continued to speak, their voice growing louder and much more heated as it continued.

"It's... It's all your fault! You killed us! Not me, but you!"

Amy was once more frozen in terror as she listened to her own undead copy grow even louder. It was her voice, but it wasn't. Never in her whole life had she known it possible to inject this much malice, this much evil, into any voice – let alone her own. And it continued to seethe and roil with every word that rolled off of the cold tongue that was hers, yet wasn't.

"You ruined everything! We had the perfect life planned out for us, but nooo, you just had to give into impulse. You're stupid! Stupid and selfish! We didn't deserve the pain, but you sure as hell did!"

The voice was ear-piercing now, her words barbed with a cold iron that tore through flesh and bit through bone just so it could slice at her heart. The banshee screeched in fury as she continued to attack her now struggling counterpart with her undeniable truths.

"You should have died, but you didm't. And now look, you're a freak of nature who can barely wrap her mind around things! You deserved every broken bone and every agonizing second at the bottom of that ditch, but you didn't deserve a second chance! So I'm taking you down with me!"

With a mighty tug, Amy was pulled into the casket, the lid slamming shut above her as she tumbled in. There was no dead visage of herself inside the coffin, only her own fears, insecurities, and the darkness. Now she was falling impossibly far into the nothingness. She screamed in agony as the shadows grasped and tore away at her human form, until nothing but a writhing Espeon was left alone in the emptiness. Yet the darkness still persisted, clawing at her body as it was swept away by a capricious wind within the never-ending fall. It felt like she was being ground to dust, everything being taken from her just as it had been as she lay in the thralls of death. She had lost so much already, but still the shadows hungered for more.

 **–-**

Amy woke with a violent start, letting out a panicked cry and nearly tumbling off of the pillow that was her new bed. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she could feel tears streaming down her face. It took several moments to realize that she was back in the small room from which she had first woken up as a Pokémon the day prior. The Luminous Moss that Gallia had left was now only glowing faintly as the bright light of the morning filtered through the closed shutters. She was still in Merri Village, trapped in a world where incredible and terrifying creatures reigned supreme. It was in that moment of waking up to the encroaching light that any doubts she still had finally died along with her humanity. WHat she had just experienced was a horrible nightmare, and what she was experiencing now was very much real.

 _It's all your fault!_

Amy felt herself wince at the words she had heard from the apparent nightmare; but it was true, wasn't it? If she hadn't been so careless, so stupid, everything would still be okay. She wouldn't have crashed, and both her and her child would still be human. There was no other way to put it: her reckless mistake was the sole reason that she and her child were sitting here, transformed into some... monsters that shouldn't have existed to begin with.

She wanted to be angry, to seek out retribution – even if it was on herself, but she suddenly felt too drained to do anything. It was the emptiness from yesterday, that void that had slowly worked its way into her core. She had tried to fight it, but she had lost. And it was in this defeat that the true identities of this darkness had been revealed. Grief and depression.

There was no point in even trying to deny it, she had been fighting these feelings all evening the day before, but that dream had dealt the final blow, and now this internal darkness had a firm grip on her and wouldn't relent. She had lost her friends, most of her family, everything she had worked towards in life – even her own humanity was forfeit. Was there even a point in carrying on after all this? Was the imposter in her nightmare right in saying that she should've just died? Should she... Should she just-

"N-No!" Amy suddenly cried out. She couldn't think like that, she just _couldn't_! She needed help and she needed it now! And if there was one person – or Pokémon, rather – that could help her in sorting out her emotions, it was surely Gallia. But could she wait for the Gardevoir? Could she really risk not seeing her now, and possibly fall even further into this abyss?

"No..."

Her voice was quiet, yet it held a weight all its own. Every second spent like this was one second too many, she could feel it. Yet she couldn't move. It was as if the shadows were still there in spite of the rising sun, chaining her to the pillow. A small part of her felt compelled to get up, to still fight, but the rest had resigned to her own self-pity. It was an internal war, that was the only way to describe it. Slowly, her weary mind fought to lift herself off of where she lay. Her body felt like lead moving through a tar pit, but she eventually rose to all fours, awkwardly wiping the tears away.

 _Should I even bother with all this?_ a part of her thought to herself. Oh, how she wanted to just plop back down on the pillow, but deep down she knew that this was what had to be done. With much hesitation, she took a step, making sure to remember how she was supposed to walk now. Grueling step after grueling step, she moved across the room that now seemed to stretch on forever. It wasn't until she'd already crossed the rolling sea of wooden planks and reached the curtain that the full realization of what she was doing began to set in. Here she was, a hair's width away from the gateway to the rest of a world she knew practically nothing about, and she was about to go out and quest for the closest thing she could call a friend, all just to get this horrible feeling to go away.

 _You're stupid! Stupid and selfish!_

The voice of the doppelgänger echoed in her ears, the painful words making her flinch once again. Was it really selfish of her to ask Gallia to help? Amy knew that feeling this way was wrong, but would she just be taking advantage of the Gardevoir and her abilities – or worse, just dragging her down as well? Was she being a burden to the Pokémon? A piece of her said no, but the rest was having a hard time coming to the same conclusion. So she stood there for several minutes, warring not just with doubts of her self-worth, but also with her fears. What was in store for her once she passed through the intimidating portal of fabric? Would it even be safe? Through a miracle and a half, she eventually managed to convince herself that this was something that couldn't wait, regardless of how she felt about it. So with slow and uncertain steps, she met the curtain and pushed through it as she left her room for the first time.

Outside of the room was... unremarkable. The hallway was narrow and sparsely decorated, consisting of the same bland planks of wood. There were, however, a few more curtained doorways that led into what Amy assumed to be other rooms for Gallia's patients. Were there other Pokémon hiding just behind them? The thought made her heart beat just a little faster than it already had been. She also noted an open doorway that led to some other room to the right, but what really caught her attention was the large door that she could only guess was the exit. It was certainly tall, but then again, she was certainly short. It was rather plain looking, perhaps even a bit crude, but the most curious feature was the shuttered opening that was latched shut at the bottom. It was similar to a doggy door, so they at the very least had four-legged creatures in mind when making it. Forcing herself to keep moving, Amy practically dragged her feet towards the small opening, glancing into the open doorway that sat to the right as she did so. It was thankfully vacant, furnished with a table, two simple chairs and a set of pillows similar to the one she had been living on. A sitting room, probably.

Paying no further mind to the room, she continued moving closer and closer to the door, also finding that it was becoming harder to keep going as it approached. Finally, she stopped in front of the opening, letting out a shaky breath that she didn't know was being held. Unlocking the shutter-like door seemed as easy as flipping the latch out of the mounted ring so that said door could swing freely on its hinges. She had no opposable thumb now, but the latch was simple enough so that all she had to do was put a paw underneath and raise it up. She did so, slowly raising a trembling paw to meet the latch. Before she gave herself the opportunity to talk herself out of it, she flung her paw upwards, knocking the latch out of the staple-like ring of metal it had been engaged to. Just like that, the opening had been unlocked and a perfectly timed breeze pushed it slightly ajar. This was it, she was so close to leaving; the only thing left to do was walk forward and push past the door and she would be on her way. She tried to take a step forward, but regardless of how much she struggled, she couldn't move a single paw.

She was afraid, no, _terrified_ of what could be waiting just outside. Images of silhouetted figures with teeth like swords and pelts matted with blood filled her mind as her whole body quaked with anxiety. What would become of her if a not-so-friendly creature saw her. She was surely being reckless again.

 _You just had to give into impulse!_

This time the words of her dead counterpart struck Amy in a different way. This is what that personified darkness would want her to do, wasn't it? To just stop because she didn't know what was ahead. A part of her knew she had to keep moving, to fight in spite of how she felt, but she was still afraid. She had no clue as to who or what was lurking about. And if their intentions were less than appealing, what was she to do then?

 _Come on you big dummy, think!_ Amy chastisedw herself, _These Pokémon... they can't be bad, or at least not all of them. There's Gallia, obviously, and that Flareon guy seemed pretty concerned when he heard me scream._

Yeah, they couldn't all be bad. She was just overthinking things as usual. Going outside wasn't a reckless idea – heck, she could really use some fresh air and sunshine in her life right about now. And all she had to do was walk through the door. Amy took several deep breaths to calm herself down and stop her quivering before finally forcing herself forward once more. Fueled by her own little pep talk, she pressed her against the loose door and pushed past it, taking her first steps into a whole new world.

 **–-**

Amy blinked a few times as her vision adjusted to the brightness outside. Her nose was immediately assaulted by several scents that threatened to overwhelm her as she was reunited with the same eternal breeze from yesterday. The first thing she noticed was that there were a lot of trees, almost like the place had become one with the forest. The second thing she noticed was that she was all alone. There wasn't a soul to be found amongst the trees, and aside from a small building or two that vaguely resembled log cabins, one wouldn't think this place was inhabited by anything except, well, animals. Turning around, Amy could see that the building she had come from looked similar to the first ones, only slightly larger. And when she looked down, she was met with the first real good look at herself... in a sense. She was standing in a wide patch of light streaming through the thin canopy, thus, the morning light gave her a perfect view of her shadow. Granted, she probably could've seen it earlier, but now it was clearly defined and she wasn't very distracted. The stretching silhouette looked more feline than anything, with her pronged tail flicking erratically and her swollen stomach on full display. But what really caught her eye were what seemed to be laying atop her head.

 _Are those my ears?! Oh my God, those things would be big on an elephant!_

Amy paused for a moment, staring into her shadow for a little longer before letting out a quiet chuckle. Most wouldn't have given it a second though – laughing was just something people naturally did. But it meant a lot to Amy in that brief moment. It was almost therapeutic in a weird way, threatening the depression and easing the tension. But it was also what brought her back to attention. She still had to find Gallia and get a more permanent solution. Hesitating only for a moment, she started to walk further away from the building she had been staying in, exploring Merri Village for the first time.

There didn't seem to be much to the place as she took tentative steps along the road. She could see a few forking paths that had been treaded out over time – one of which was right outside of the building and she was now beginning to walk on. But aside from the occasional building she picked out from the trees as she scanned her surroundings, there wasn't anything remarkable she could see. Where were all the Pokémon? Was it too early for most of them to be up? Not quite sure which direction to even head in, Amy decided to keep following the path she was on. If nothing else, she could at least retrace her steps if she so desired. Taking another deep breath to steel herself, she put one of her back legs forward to take a step...

And then there was a rustling noise.

Amy's whole body tensed and her heart rate shot back up as she perceived the noise. It was faint, but she still heard it nonetheless. It seemed to have come from a shrub that sat a few feet away, next to a inconspicuous tree.

"H-Hello?" Amy called, "Is anyone there?"

No reply. Amy swallowed hard and took a few more steps, making sure her eyes were glued to the bush as she walked. Unfortunately, this only earned her a knock on the head as she unknowingly went off the road and ran right into a tree. She let out a quiet curse at her carelessness. The shrub rustled again, this time being accompanied by a squeaking laughter.

Now flustered and caught in the heat of the moment, Amy narrowed her eyes and huffed, marching right up to the bush. Pulling courage from seemingly nowhere. She pushed the limbs aside with some difficulty, preparing to confront whatever was hiding inside, but the words became lodged in her throat as she was met with what only could've been a large, purple rat.

"Oh, umm, hi Miss Espeon." The purple rat waved. "You're funny."

Amy suddenly felt a bit unsteady as she just stared at the creature before her,. It was a bit hard to make it out from the foliage, but it was indeed purple, as she'd previously established. It also had a cream-colored underside with a set of long whiskers that extended from its cheeks, while its tail sat motionless, long and curling in on itself at its end, but the main draw to this Pokémon was the large front teeth that sat in its mouth as it smiled back at her. It took a brief moment before Amy realized that it was looking at her expectantly. Right, she should probably talk to it. But what to say?

"You shouldn't play sneaky like that." Amy decided, sounding a lot more hostile than she intended. "I thought you were a monster or something."

"O-Oh, I'm sorry..." the rat said, seeming a bit deflated all of a sudden, "I was just spying. All the grown-ups kept saying Mister Sirden found an Espeon right outside the village, and Miss Gallia was taking care of them."

There was a sniffle as the Pokémon's nose twitched, was it about to cry? Just how young was this thing?

"I just wanted to meet you." The rat continued. "I only see Espeons in that one book, and I wanted to see a real one. I didn't mean to make you scared."

There were tears beginning to well up in its eyes. ANd just like that, Amy felt her heart begin to break. There was no other way to slice it: she had just scolded a child without meaning to and made the poor thing cry. Already the little adventure to find Gallia that she had envisioned was falling apart as this child sobbed quietly to itself. The guilt was already becoming too much to bear, which when coupled with how she was already feeling, didn't make things any easier. But deep down, she could feel something beginning to stir. It was a feeling that she couldn't readily describe, but she suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to comfort this creature and make it happy. She thought of her own child, wondering if she was already developing a mothering nature from her being pregnant.

Without putting much more thought into it, Amy pushed herself into the shrubbery, trying her best to ignore how the twigs and small thorns scratched at her. Tenderly, she ran a paw across the head of the now bewildered Pokémon, speaking as soft as she could to it.

"It's okay," she huumed, "it was an honest mistake, and it was my fault for being upset to begin with. But I promise I'm not mad at you. How about this: why don't you come out of this bush so we can talk better, okay?"

The rat sobbed a few more times and eventually nodded. Carefully, Amy retreated from the shrubbery, having to face another round of scratches from the evil plant. The Pokémon followed in tandem, nimbly avoiding the thorns and pointed twigs as if it had doing this their entire life. Amy stopped next to the road, sitting on her haunches as the rat plopped down beside her, wiping away a stray tear.

"Let's start over." Amy said, "My name's Amy, do you have a name?"

The rat nodded again, the smallest of smile returning to its face. "Mhm, my name's Tiran." He paused. "Oh! And I'm very pleased to meet you."

"And where did such a cute thing get such good manners?" Amy asked with a chuckle.

The rat beamed proudly, his earlier demeanor returning in full. "Ma always tells me to be polite to other Pokémon. She always gets on to me when I'm not." He paused again. "...Are you feeling better now? Is that why you came out of Miss Gallia's healing hut?"

Amy was quiet for a moment before answering, trying her best to play her situation down. "I'm feeling a little better now, but I still think I'm kinda sick. I came out here because I really need to ask Miss Gallia about it. Do you know where she is?"

Tiran's face lit up even further. "Uh huh! She's super easy to get to from here, but Miss Gallia is probably asleep still. And Ma says she gets grumpy in the morning if you wake her up, but I can still show you if you want."

"That would be great! Thank you Tiran."

Tiran nodded yet again and let out another "Mhm" before finally heading off in the opposite direction that Amy had decided to go in just a few moments earlier. Amy trailed behind the smaller Pokémon as he padded along the path towards what she was hoping would be a quick fix to her issues. It was only then that it dawned on her what she'd also just accomplished: without missing a beat, she had confronted and interacted with another Pokémon! She couldn't help but feel a little proud of herself for doing such a thing – even if it had been with just a child. _Hah, take that, dream version of me._ _I'm winning this fight now._

The two continued down the winding trail, coming into contact with no other Pokémon as they did so. It was a small detail, but it was one that made Amy a bit antsy. Finally, it got to the point that she couldn't help but ask.

"Hey Tiran, where is everyone? It doesn't seem early enough for this many peop – er – Pokémon to still be asleep."

"Oh, that's easy," Tiran replied, "all the grown-ups are at the clearing because Mister Nedos came in early. He brings lots of stuff to trade for, and he tries to help out everyone too! He's super awesome and super strong!"

Amy frowned slightly. Nedos? Sirden? Who were these guys? Obviously they were Pokémon, but what else? She decided not to worry too much about it – she may not even meet them anytime soon. Right now all she had to focus on was getting to Gallia and trying not to make anyone else cry in the process.

The walk went on for about another minute or two before anything else of interest happened. Tiran seemed to be in a good mood, and frankly, Amy was just beginning to feel good herself. For the first time since she'd woken up as a Pokémon, she felt like she might be able to smile without forcing it and tell someone to have a great day and actually mean it. They passed a larger tree and rounded a corner before they finally came into contact with two other Pokémon. And to Amy's great relief, she recognized both of them. It was Gallia, talking intently to Fury, the Flareon from yesterday.

"Wow, Miss Gallia is up really early today," Tiran said, "and she only looks a little grumpy too!"

Indeed, Gallia did look a bit less friendly than she'd seemed yesterday, but it was almost imperceptible unlrss you were looking for it to begin with. She was fully engrossed in her conversation with the Flareon, unaware of her surroundings. She was currently holding a woven basket with a blanket covering whatever lay inside and was currently finishing off one of the otherworldly berries as she talked. Both Amy and Tiran made their way over to the duo, only for the Flareon's ears to twitch repeatedly. He turned his head their way and his eyes went wide when he saw Amy approaching. He muttered something audible only to Gallia, and the Gardevoir turned around to see who was coming as well. Her dazzling ruby eyes flew open, mirroring Fury's reaction. She dropped the berry and hurried over, flicking her gaze back and forth between the two of them as she did so.

"Miss Amy!" she exclaimed, "What in the name of The Creator are you doing here?! And with little Tiran, no less!"

Every eye was on Amy now as she stood there with her newest acquaintance. This wasn't at all what she'd imagined it to be either. Suddenly she was in the company of three other Pokémon, and she was beginning to feel as though she'd bitten off more than she could chew. She glanced around at the faces as they continued to look at her, their gazes trailing every move.

"Uh – umm, hi Gallia..." Amy finally said with a nervous laugh, "I – er... I just had an important question to ask, so I thought it would be better to just find you myself and, uh, well... if you're busy I can just go-"

"N-No Miss Amy, this is quite fine, honestly!" Gallia interrupted. "I just assumed you wouldn't want to come out on your own for at least a few more days. I'm just surprised, is all."

"Wow." Another voice cut in, it was Fury, still staring wide-eyed at Amy, or rather, her stomach. "She really does look like she could pop at any time. Gallia, are you sure she still has a week until she-"

He never got the chance to finish before one of his front paws was stomped on by Gallia. The Flareon yowled in pain and hobbled around, firing off several obscenities that Amy didn't recognize.

"Don't be so insensitive." Gallia scolded. "It's rude to talk like that towards someone who's bearing a child."

The scene probably would have been hilarious to most, if the hysterical laughter from Tiran was anything to go by. But it was not to be in Amy's case, the message had already been received, and now there were a million questions swirling through her head. All she could do was stare up at Gallia, suddenly feeling very helpless and very afraid. The Gardevoir met her eyes only for a moment before takiing action to avert any incoming breakdowns.

"Well Fury, seeing as how my patient has arrived early – and a most notable feat it was – I believe it would be best to continue as I'd originally intended with her. Alone." She added in a stern look alongside the last word to silence the other Pokémon as he opened his mouth to protest. "Ah, and Tiran, thank you for accompanying Miss Amy, but you should return home. If your mother finds out that you've snuck away while she was asleep, you'll be in quite a lot of trouble."

With that, Gallia looked back towards Amy and beckoned her as she began walking, basket still in hand. Numbly, she followed the Gardevoir's lead, hardly noticing as the Flareon tried to suckle his afflicted paw and complained about healers who hurt more than heal. The two of them made it no further than just out of earshot before Amy looked back up at Gallia and addressed the elephant in the room.

"Just one week until I have my baby?!"

Gallia frowned. "Well, roughly one week. It could easily be longer... or not. But I had no idea that you weren't aware of how far along you were."

"I thought I _knew_ how far along I was," Amy replied, putting forth a valiant effort to stay composed, "I was almost six months pregnant – I still had three months to go at most!"

Gallia gave an intrigued look. "Nine months for a pregnancy? That's far too long by our standards. Most Pokémon lay their eggs by two – maybe even three months."

Amy went rigid.

"Did you... Did you just say _egg_? Like the round things that baby animals hatch out of? That kind of egg?"

"Umm... Yes...? Do humans not lay eggs?"

That was the final straw, Amy could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate as the panic began setting in. She was still trying to come to terms with becoming a Pokémon, but now she had to do that alongside having her motherhood pushed forward? And all on top of having to lay an egg instead of giving live birth?! Her pace had quickened to the point that she felt like she was about to have a heart attack. What was she supposed to do? There was no proper hospital here as far as she knew, and her family wasn't here to support and comfort her. She was alone, and she was about to be a mother. She felt lightheaded, staggering a few steps before her legs gave out from underneath her. She fell...

...And never hit the ground; she was still upright. But how? Just as soon as it had came, all the panic and worry she felt began to ebb to near nothing as she sat there – her body being levitated by an unseen force. Looking over, she saw Gallia with her free arm outstretched and a look of concentration on her face, her eyes once again alight with the violet glow of her powers.

"Now now," she said, her voice as soothing and silver as it had been when they had first met, "there's no need for any of this fuss. As long as you stay with me, you'll be in capable hands. I can teach you everything you need to know about taking care of your egg and the kit that will hatch from it. I'm not sure if I can say the same for humans, but you're a Pokémon until further notice. Therefor, I know that you'll have strong maternal instincts that will come alongside your child. And it's not as if the egg will hatch the instant you lay it, it should be around one more month before it's ready to do that. You've nothing to fear."

With that, Gallia straightened her body up and set her down properly on all fours before dispelling both her telekinetic and empathetic influence. She could feel the uncertainty of everything snaking its way back in, but it felt more manageable somehow.

"Now then," Gallia said, "let's continue our little walk. We're going to eat a quick breakfast first, then I'll give you a more proper introduction to this humble home of mine."

Gallia continued walking as if nothing had happened, leaving a shaken Amy to follow as the Gardevoir contentedly made her way further down the trail. Amy didn't want to think about what she'd just learned, so she opted to distract herself by observing the rest of the village as they continued towards an unknown destination. The problem was, there wasn't anything worth observing to begin with. There were no more buildings to note as they continued, just trees, shafts of sunlight, and more trees.

"Gallia, where are we going?"

THe Gardevoir gave a reassuring smile. "Why, the beach of course. Have you ever been to one? I think they're quite relaxing and this one in particular is quiet. Can't you tell that this is a coastal village?"

Amy let the words sink in and mulled them over. A coastal village? That would explain the sea breeze that refused to stop blowing. She'd certainly been to a few beaches before, namely when she had accompanied her friends to go along the east coast, but how far away would they have to go? Her answer came unexpectedly fast in the form of her ears twitching on their own as they picked up a faint sound. If she focused, she could hear it: the telltale sound of waves crashing upon a shoreline. Scanning much more carefully, she eventually saw a sudden break in all the trees some distance ahead, revealing only blue sky and sparkling waters. They kept going until they reached the edge of the abruptly ending tree line that left them standing on a steep ridge that, as expected, overlooked a beach. And what a sight it was! The sands were a muted brown color and looked virtually untouched. There were a few footprints of creatures she couldn't name that led into the tide, but the place was deserted otherwise. It wasn't too large though, only spanning about the width of a football field – if even that – before being cut off by on either side by the ridge. It was both stunning and quaint all at once. Not at all like the beaches back home.

Gallia strode down an incline that had seemingly been cut out of the otherwise short-yet-unforgiving drop onto the beach. She gestured for Amy to follow, and she did, trying to balance her new center of gravity as she made her way down the slope. She stepped experimentally into the sand as she made it down, feeling the fine grains between the tiny digits on her paw. She couldn't help but marvel at how her paw pads cushioned her feet from the grainy texture beneath. She hurried along, keeping stride with Gallia until the were much further along the beach. Finally, the Gardevoir came to a graceful halt and looked around, setting down the basket once she confirmed that they were alone. She reached into the basket and pulled out the simple blanket that had been bundled into it, lifting it up and letting both gravity and the salty breeze unfold it for her – they were having a picnic. She gently laid it across the sands and placed herself and the basket on top of it so that it wouldn't blow away. Now sitting, she patted the spot next to her, inviting Amy to join in. She obeyed absentmindedly, still trying to get her mind off of what she'd just learned about her new biology.

There was a tense and awkward silence between the two of them before Gallia reached into the basket again and fished around for something. She pulled out a tiny jar with a lid sealed by cloth. The contents were a golden color and looked to be honey. Next was a small loaf of bread that, admittedly, looked pretty close to being burnt, but that mistake was forgiven when Amy saw the Oran Berries that sat comfortably at the bottom of the basket alongside three wooden saucers, a spoon, and what looked to be the wooden equivalent to a serrated knife. Gallia sat the saucers down on the blanket in front of them and began cutting at the bread, finally breaking the silence as she did so.

"You know," she began, "I've been thinking that it may be best to not wait until introducing you to the village proper before speaking of the idea I had regarding the search for answers to your situation. It may be best to-"

"Wait." Amy interrupted. "Before you go on, can I... ask you something?"

Gallia hesitated. "...Of course, Miss Amy, whatever's the matter?"

"Don't play dumb," Amy said, "you can sense emotions, so I know you can feel all this horrible stuff coming from me. So I want to ask for your help. I don't want to feel this way; can you, I dunno, make all the negative emotions go away again, but for good?"

Gallia let out a sigh, reaching into the jar of honey with the spoon and spreading it on the slices of bread she had cut.

"Miss Amy, I regret to say that I cannot do such a thing when given this scenario."

Amy opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by another stern look from the Gardevoir.

"Please, allow me to explain myself. There is a difference between the negative emotions you were feeling when you first awoke yesterday and what I sense you're going through now. It's safe for me to suppress such things as fear, anger, and anxiety – but this is different. You're depressed, grieving over what you've lost, tormented over what could've been. If I were to suppress that, things would only grow worse as time wore on. It pains me as much as you to say this, but you're the only one capable of ending these feelings."

With that, Gallia took a bite of the honeyed bread, closing her eyes as she seemed to savor the taste. The waves gently rolled onto the small brach as Amy went over what she had just been told. It made sense, at least to an extent, but there was still one big question left hanging in the air.

"How?" Amy asked, "How do I get over this? It's my fault that I'm here right now – I was the one who screwed up while driving, I was the one who killed us. Because of me – and only me – I've ended up ruining the future I had planned for everything. Now we're stuck as stupid Pokémon in a world that I don't even want to be in! So tell me, how the hell am I supposed to come to terms with _that_?!"

Amy was breathing hard, her despair turning into frustration towards the end. Gallia was silent at first, chewing on another bite of the bread thoughtfully as she had vented. She swallowed the piece and turned to face Amy directly, an expression on her face that couldn't quite be put into words. "Ancient" would've been a good start, but even that didn't lend enough credit to the reverent feeling that Amy got when looking deep into the eyes of the Pokémon sitting before her

"It may not be as hard as you would expect," Gallia proclaimed, "after all, you already possess the means to becoming content once again. All you must do is to see yourself from another perspective."

"Umm... what do you mean?" Amy asked, not quite sure she was following along.

"What I mean is..." Gallia continued, reaching into the basket to pull out an Oran Berry. "You may not necessarily be looking at your predicament from the right angle, or so I believe. I cannot deny that you're in mourning for what you've supposedly lost, but have you really lost anything to begin with? Nothing has truly changed since your death as a human, barring that you can no longer see your friends and family. Nevertheless, every last one of them still lives. Can you really mourn for those who haven't actually departed? I think not, and its always important to remember that."

Gallia simply turned the Oran Berry over in her hands, inspecting it for flaws that didn't exist, before turning her gaze back towards Amy. Wordlessly, she raised her free hand and placed it on her back, running her fingers gently through Amy's fur. The sensation sent a chill up her spine and was strangely relaxing.

"But more importantly, you're alive."

Her fingers trailed down her flank before they came to a rest on Amy's swollen belly. Ever so gently, she pressed her fingers into the firm flesh, as if to try and tickle the baby Pokémon that now resided within her.

"Both of you..."

With that, Gallia withdrew her hand, much to Amy's disappointment, but she then offered the Oran Berry and some of the bread to her, which she gladly accepted. She felt that she was finally beginning to understand the kind of person – er, Pokémon – that the Gardevoir was: an optimist, moreover, one who could put her philosophies into words in such a way as to spread her outlook amongst those she desired. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, Amy felt as though her own outlook had been utterly slain by the Pokémon's conviction. It was true, wasn't it? Everything was different... yet nothing at all had changed. She continued to replay the words in her head over and over, eating her breakfast in silence while she stared at the shimmering water as it reflected the light of the morning sun, feeling just a tiny bit better about this whole situation. The calming sound of waves beating at the pristine shores went uninterrupted for quite some time before Gallia spoke once again.

"Now then, Miss Amy, I would like to discuss what I mentioned yesterday evening – about what we could do to, at the very least, begin searching for answers regarding your reincarnation into this world."

"Oh, umm, okay then." Amy replied, "I'm all ears... literally. And you don't need to keep calling me 'Miss', just Amy is fine by me. It kinda makes me feel old."

Gallia nodded. "Very well, I'll try to keep that in mind. Anyways, where should I begin? Hmm... perhaps I'll just be forward about the matter: you... can't stay here in Merri Village if you want to try and solve this mystery."

Amy cocked her head questioningly, but said nothing. Gallia took it as a sign to continue her explanation of what plan of action she'd come up with on such short notice.

"This isn't because of anything except for a lack of resources. Farther to the north – in Azurview City, to be more specific – there's a group of powerful Psychic type Pokémon who are collectively known as the Council of Creation. They often act as advisors for the royal lineage in matters that require a certain touch, so to say."

"So they're, like, stewards or something?" Amy inquired.

"In a sense," Gallia replied, "but they don't manage the affairs of His Highness, only advise. Some on the council even claim to have premonitions and visions from The Creator Himself. That's why they may be the only ones we can ask about you."

Gallia paused, letting Amy absorb everything before continuing.

"Unfortunately, Azurview City is quite far away from here. Up to a few weeks by wagon, if I'm taking everything into consideration. But as you've also been made aware, you're probably going to lay your egg within a week's time. I refuse to let you watch over an egg while on the road – the risk is far too high. Therefor, the best course of action will have to be for you to bide your time and wait."

Amy frowned, not even attempting to hide her displeasure. While Gallia _did_ have a plan of action – which was more than she could say for herself – that was still quite a bit of waiting. Around one month of travel plus another month between laying her egg (she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around the concept) and having it hatch. That was already two months, and that wasn't even considering how long it would be before either one of them deemed her baby safe for travel. Surely there was another way. What if...

"Couldn't we just snd a letter to them explaining what's going on?"

The idea seemed viable, but the Gardevoir was already there to stop the idea from gaining any further traction.

"While that is a possible alternative," she said, "it would still take a take a week for the mail to arrive by a Flying type courier. Not to mention that the Pokémon we're sending the letter to are very busy at the best of times. Moreover, any mail that they receive is likely examined prior to delivery, and I'm certain that others learning of your status as human and possibly spreading the news is something you don't want. Realistically, traveling to the Council by foot is the best solution."

Amy felt herself sag in defeat as she took in the reality of it all. It really seemed like the waiting game was the only game to be played. For the time being, she was pretty much stuck in Merri Village as a Pokémon, but what Gallia had told her coupled with the beginnings of a plan she now had was helping to make her feel better. For the second time since she had woken up yesterday, she was starting to feel as though she could smile without forcing it. All she really had to do was wait, right?

The two of them continued to snack on the berries and bread in relative silence as the tide of the sea began to slowly recede, revealing more of the beach in the process. Amy was just beginning to relax, simply enjoying Gallia's company, when something suddenly began to really pester her. It wasn't anything as deep as a shift of perspective in life, nor was it something as dark as dealing with her emotions regarding this whole mess, but it was important all the same. And now that she was here, watching the water as it crashed gently upon the shore, she was reminded just how pressing this matter was becoming.

"Gallia..."

"Yes?"

"I have to use the bathroom, like, _really_ bad..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And here it is ladies and gentlemen, Chapter 3 is here! It's nearly double the length of the two previous chapters, clocking in at about 9.2k words (not counting what ypu're reading now, of course), so I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to hit around 7-10k words as often as I can, but don't be surprised if that doesn't happen all the time. I think that this one came out decent enough (unless you were one of the unfortunate victims of this chapter's original version), but I also can't help feeling as though the pacing is a bit too fast. Either way, let me know your opinions about the chapter.**

 **Review Reply:**

 **NanobotEX - I appreciate the feedback and advice as usual, although I sorta think that my being critical of my own writing skills is a means (at least in my mind) to help me improve as I continue writing. And I promise that Gallia isn't based off of Flo – I think it's just because I made her fit into this stereotypical Gardevoir role and that some overlap appeared as a result.**

 **Empathy - Glad you enjoyed the story so far, but once a month uploads may be a regular thing with this story. Sorry...**

 **TheForge64 - I already answered your review, so we're good ;)**

 **Chapter Trivia:**

 **The whole section of the chapter involving Tiran the Rattata and Amy was written in at the last possible moment after I had suffered a minor bout of writer's block. I literally created the character and wrote out everything in the span of, like, twenty minutes.**

 **See ya next chapter**!


	4. Chapter 4

**A Home Like No Other**

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

The world was a simple place, or at least, that's how Gallia thought it should be. Every Pokémon needed a role in life to be proud of, and one should work towards that role so that they could fulfill it to the best of their ability. Being truthful was paramount, and it was always important to dream, to have ambition. Yes, it was such a simple way of viewing things – naïve, really – but she was just now beginning to realize it. Or perhaps it was something else. Maybe she had always known how the world truly was, but had just stubbornly refused to accept that the world was different from what she thought it _should_ be. Either way, she had been victim to a Wake-Up Slap, and it came in the form of a remarkable creature by the name of Amy Miller.

Since learning of this Espeon's true nature, the Gardevoir had found herself, for a lack of better words, obsessed at this Pokémon who called herself human. She seemed so unassuming and normal, or at least as unassuming and normal as an Espeon could be. Yet just beneath that façade was something incredible: a creature built entirely from memories and experiences from another world, a world that Gallia now found herself enthralled with. In fact, her fascination for what she had glimpsed in Amy's mind had grown to the point that she even dreamt of being lost in a human city the previous night, surrounded on all sides by the towering structures constructed of glass and steel that threatened to pierce the very heavens they reached towards. She could have gushed for hours about how amazing the things were that she had seen, but there were far more important matters to tend to at the moment.

All was not well with Amy, and it hardly required her psionic powers or passive empathy to know that much. She had died in her final moments before coming to this world – an event that had likely traumatized the young female, or at the very least, jarred her. Moreover, she was now having to cope with the fact that both she and the child she bore were now Pokémon, lost in a world that wasn't their own. Gallia could hardly imagine how stressful that must be, and it was certainly showing as Amy wrapped up her recounting of the nightmare she had suffered from as they walked.

"...And then I was pulled into the coffin. It was dark... very dark, and the shadows started to tear me to pieces until there was nothing left. It felt so real, I had no idea you could... feel so much pain in a dream. I thought for sure that I would've woken up from it hurt, but it just kept going and going and..."

The Espeon trailed off, ears drooping as she stared ahead with that same perturbed look she had since she had started talking about the dream. Gallia could sympathize all too well with what she was going through.

"I apologize that you had to suffer in your sleep like that. Unfortunately, it isn't uncommon for such torturous nightmares to haunt Psychic-types like you and I – especially after events that traumatize. Our brains work differently from most other types, especially when in reference to sleep and unconsciousness. Put simply, when we dream, our minds construct a mock reality in which we can seldom escape from until it 'ends'."

Amy's brow furrowed for a moment before looking back up.

"Wait, 'like you and I'? Am I a psychic like you?"

Gallia paused. Of course, Amy likely knew nothing concerning Pokémon type and how it functioned, but surely she had picked up on the notion? Then again, humans seemed so different in some regards.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking. We are both Psychic-type Pokémon, but what that type entails differs from species to species, so we aren't _exactly_ the same. For instance, some Pokémon of our type channel their powers through intense concentration and enforcing their will on the world, while others – such as myself – are empaths: Psychic-types that can sense emotion and have their abilities linked directly to said emotions."

Gallia went quiet and glanced Amy over. The Espeon was looking back in an expectant manner, like a hatchling who was having a bedtime story read to them. Gone was that brooding creature she had been with up until that point, replaced now with some stranger that looked ready to act a quarter of their age.

"That's incredible! So I can do at least some of the things that you pulled off yesterday? Like when you closed all the shutters and stuff?"

Gallia nodded, thoroughly amused by the sudden change in demeanor.

"In theory, yes. But moving things around by sheer force of will is only a piece of what we're capable of, and I don't just mean Psychic Pokémon. Every species, every type, they all have something that makes them unique."

"So you're telling me that there's more than one type?"

Again, Gallia nodded. Beginning to take pleasure in the impromptu lesson.

"Of course. Each Pokémon has at least one type, and there are quite a few to be had. Fury, for instance, is a Flareon – a Fire-type. Naturally, this means that he can manipulate fire through his internal flame... even if the only thing he's capable of is firing a few Ember attacks."

Amy's eyes widened, her tail lashing in excitement.

"Whoah, that's amazing! And you said at least one type per Pokémon? So that means some have more than one, right?"

"Mhm, some have two, but no more than that. I'm actually one of those Pokémon. A Psychic and Fairy-type."

Gallia had to hold back a giggle at Amy's face, the poor girl looked like her eyes were about to pop out of her head.

"Fairy-type? What does that do?"

"That's one of the harder types to pin down. All I truly know about that affinity is that it's particularly effective against Dark and Dragon Pokémon. I myself am only capable of using the Fairy technique known as Charm. That, combined with a Gardevoir's innate ability to superpose emotions, was the cause of the calming sensation that you first experienced when we met. Quite useful when you need to quell a rowdy patient."

"Wow, that's crazy..."

And that was it, the Espeon said no more as she padded alongside Gallia with a contemplative look on her face. But that was alright, because she was smiling, which meant that she was still doing well in her job to help out her patient.

The two continued walking along the winding trail that stretched along Merri Village in silence. Like they had done on the beach, they did little more than enjoy one another's company, but it was enjoyable, as it had also been on the beach. Idly, the Gardevoir's gaze began to wander amongst the countless trees that helped to hide the small settlement within the forests before spotting a certain building that made her quietly chuckle to herself. Perplexed, Amy turned to look at Gallia.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing... I guess this concludes the tour of the village that I promised you."

Now even more confused, Gallia watched as Amy began to look among the surrounding plant life before suddenly seeming to notice what the Gardevoir had been looking at.

"Really? We're back at where I'm staying? I could've sworn we went the other way."

Gallia smiled.

"We did go the other way. The main road in the village is just one big circle after you remove all of the minor twists and turns. As of now, we've made a complete lap from where you started and have since passed all major attractions we have to offer: the beach, a few houses, the building where I house and treat patients, and of course, the outhouse."

Amy gave her a flat look.

"Oh, so you're a healer _and_ a comedian. I guess you weren't wrong about that humor of yours. But seriously, that's really all there is to this place?"

Gallia hesitated for a moment, eying Amy with a thoughtful hum.

"Well, not entirely. There is one last place I'd like for us to visit here shortly. First, though, I'll be putting away this basket I've been toting around all morning."

She gestured with the now empty basket she still held in one hand. It wasn't particularly heavy, but holding onto it for the remainder of the day was pointless. So saying, both she and Amy continued along the road circling the village, eventually turning off of it to make a Combee-line straight for the patient house.

Wondering whether or not Amy was ready for what she was about to try and make her do.

– **-**

Amy watched as Gallia opened the door to the patient house and entered, deciding it would be better to wait outside for the Gardevoir's return and enjoy the overall feeling of being outside. Now that she had a moment to really slow down and think, she could really appreciate just how clean the air was here, and the sun felt amazing as it warmed her fur... as strange as that was to think about. Perhaps if she were here under different circumstances, such as having the option to stay human, she would be in a better frame of mind – maybe even willing to try and be content with the fact that she was no longer on Earth.

But of course, things didn't turn out that way. She wasn't human, but if she were to be completely honest with herself and ignore the voice in her head that kept telling her that this was inherently wrong, the reality that she was now some four-legged thing was slowly beginning to seem less and less like a problem. And if Gallia was telling the truth, which Amy doubted the Garevoir was capable of, then that meant that she could use some of the Psychic Pokémon powers that she had seen yesterday. That idea alone was tantalizing, but she knew that she probably had a lot to learn before she could even attempt anything like picking up things with her mind to compensate for her newfound lack of opposable thumbs.

Amy felt her ears twitch as she heard the door Gallia had entered open once more. Turning her head, she watched as the Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon emerged from the doorway, basket-free and with a jovial expression on her face. Amy returned the smile as the Gardevoir came up beside her once more, definitely in the best mood she had been in since first waking up the day prior.

"So, what was it you said about visiting one last spot?"

Amy's question made Gallia halt for a moment in her movements, if only for a moment. Something flashed in her eyes. Conflict? Uncertainty? It was hard to tell, but she was soon moving again, her mind seemingly made up on something as the two resumed their stroll.

"Well, as I had just said, there's one more place of importance here in the village. That place would be the clearing to the west. Once a month, a small trading caravan occupies the space and barters various goods to the villagers. It's a neat little procession – allowing us occasional luxuries such as finer foods, produce we aren't able to grow in this particular climate, and other high-quality furnishings in exchange for what little we produce.

Anyways, it just so happened that they arrived earlier this morning. I would like to take you over there so that you can meet a few more Pokémon than just Fury and I. I know that it's sudden, but would you be willing to come with?"

Amy found herself frozen in place, her breath caught in her chest. Just like that, the good mood she had been building up had been swept out from under her, leaving her in a free-fall back to the same anxieties and fears she had been fending off. Meet more Pokémon? She had remembered a part of herself being a bit anxious at the opportunity to see more creatures, but to have the guarantee just present itself like this?

She was so unsure of what to do. How safe would it actually be for her and her baby to mingle with who knows what? Were there risks of her true identity as a human somehow being uncovered despite what Gallia had told her? There were so many questions she could ask herself, and she hardly knew the answer to any of them.

Gallia, having apparently sensed her slight distress, was now knelt beside her, running a gentle hand along her back and scratching between her shoulder blades in a familiar motion to try and calm her down. It was such a demeaning thing, to be pet like some animal. Yet just as before, the gesture was strangely effective at helping regain her composure. Calmly, the Gardevoir spoke to her in a way that almost reminded Amy of her own mother.

"Now, there's absolutely no reason for you to work yourself up over something as small as this. It was just a suggestion, I'm not forcing you to go if you don't want to... although I _will_ try and convince you."

Amy sighed.

"I know... and a part of me would feel bad if I said no outright. Still, I'm just so nervous about it all. I mean, the only reason I left my room in the first place was because that nightmare was making me feel terrible about myself."

Gallia slowed her stroking, chuckling softly.

"Amy, I promise that there's nothing to be nervous about. Why, I'd be willing to bet coin that talking to most of the Pokémon around here is hardly any different from speaking to a human that you've never met before. Besides, you'll have to talk sooner or later; I won't always be by your side, and what would you do if you found yourself lost in some other city on the journey to Azurview? Like I said, this decision is a voluntary one, but it would only do you good to at least try. And I'll be watching you as much as I can while we're there, just to be absolutely sure nothing happens."

Amy felt herself frown slightly. She wasn't quite convinced that talking to Pokémon would be _exactly_ like meeting a stranger for the first time, but hearing Gallia volunteer to keep an eye on her was at least reassuring. She also had to admit that the Gardevoir had a point – what _would_ she do if, no, when she found herself in much larger settlements as she traveled north to reach Azurview City? In a way, this could be like practicing for some crazy test. That hardly made her any more excited at the prospect of throwing herself headlong into an entire village's worth of Pokémon, though.

But then again, perhaps she was. Despite how she felt, the idea _had_ intrigued her. And if every Pokémon had at least one type and could pull of things that were just as incredible as telekinesis and mind reading, then she would surely be in for quite the experience, right?

"I... I guess I can try going. But if I can't handle it, could you take me back here so I don't have another panic attack?"

"That seems like a reasonable request."

The Gardevoir smiled and made to get up, but not before Amy could ask another question.

"Umm, Gallia?"

"Mhm?"

"Okay, uh – oh geez – do you think that while you're still petting me, you could scratch behind my ears? My cat loved it when I did that, and I'm curious to know what all the fuss was about."

–-

Amy lagged behind a few paces as she continued her walk with Gallia. A deep blush burning just beneath her fur while she tried not to think about what had just transpired. She couldn't see the Gardevoir's face, but she could tell just from the way that she carried herself that it was a struggle for her not to break into another fit of laughter from how Amy had acted.

"I – heheh – I knew that some quadruped Pokémon enjoy being pet every so often to help comfort them, but _that_ was something else entirely—"

"Sh-Shut up! It never happened! And if you tell anyone, I'll find a way to get back at you, I swear on it."

Gallia giggled.

"Alright, I promise that it'll remain a secret between the two of us. But if there were any time to try and compose ourselves, it would be now. We've nearly reached the clearing."

Sure enough, Amy found that if she strained her ears, she could faintly hear the distinct droning of many, _many_ voices somewhere in the distance. The two continued in relative silence until they reached a fork in the road that she must have failed to notice before. Turning onto it, the pair continued along, the distant voices beginning to grow in volume as they followed along the few twists and turns that presumably led to the clearing. Amy could feel butterflies stirring in her stomach with every step she took; there were so many things that she didn't know about this world, specifically when talking to other Pokémon...

"Gallia? What should I do if I find myself stuck talking with someone? What should and shouldn't I say? How do I need to act?"

Gallia was silent for a moment, a pensive look on her face.

"Well, I suppose everything depends on context. My best advice would be to simply follow the flow of conversation, and don't mention anything that could end up trapping you in a corner in regards to answering questions you wouldn't know the answer to."

The Gardevoir went quiet until a sudden realization seemed to cross her mind.

"Ah, and another nugget of wisdom: as an Espeon, other Pokémon you meet may have certain expectations of you. Your species sits quite high in the hierarchy of Auristead – viewed as a symbol of elegance, virtue, and wisdom. Simply put, just be as polite and courteous as you can possibly be."

Amy sighed, apart from 'be nice' and 'don't be stupid', she couldn't really pick out any useful information concerning her worries. For now, that meant that she would have to try and avoid drawing attention to herself, but based off of Gallia's statement about Espeon and how they're regarded, that suddenly sounded a lot harder than previously thought.

Closer still they drew to their destination. If Amy focused, she could begin to make out distinct voices from the much more noisy droning from up ahead, not to mention that she could see the point in which the trees gave way to more open space and countless shapes that moved just beyond. Her stomach began to lurch with every new detail she was able to make out from behind the tree line. She looked up at Gallia, who returned a sideways glance.

"Amy, are you still willing to continue? I think I could feel your anxiety from half a mile away at this point."

"Y-Yeah, I've got this. Like you said, it would only be good for me to do this."

Her voice was trembling now. In spite of her best efforts, she could no longer stop her tail from twitching to and fro in clear reflection of her nerves. Gallia herself seemed uncertain of whether or not she should make a move to try and comfort her once more, but eventually averted her eyes and continued to keep a steady pace, albeit reluctantly. Amy began mentally began going through the motions of walking in her new body to take her mind off of her nervousness as she forced every grueling step on the way to another necessary milestone in this world.

And then they crossed the tree line, passing another physical barrier that separated herself from everything this new world had to offer.

Amy's breath caught as she took in the sight before her. Truthfully, there weren't many Pokémon – she would probably have found more individuals in the bleachers of a packed-out baseball game at a small school, but considering every creature she saw before her was distinctly _not_ of the human race, she felt that she may as well have been staring down an army. They were all so different, so foreign, but at the same time, also vaguely familiar. Despite coming in so many different shapes and sizes, many of the creatures had a definite rodent motif about them. She could pick out several Pokémon in the crowd that reminded her of animals such as mice, rats, ferrets, and even a raccoon, in one instance. There were far more than just that, however; a few, musclebound Pokémon with grayish skin and what honest-to-God looked like wrestling trunks, a nondescript bird that sort of looked like a pigeon, and what looked to be a family of wolf and dog-like creatures with rocks in their fur were also things that the former human noticed as she scanned her surroundings.

Speaking of, she had to admit that the setup for the caravan was impressive. It was a little difficult to see past all the Pokémon in the way, but Amy could make out several wagons that had seemingly been pulled in by some enormous horse Pokémon that stood beside them. They were arranged in a semicircle, with carpets or small stands sat out in front of almost every one that offered various things that Amy could hardly see from where she stood. Some Pokémon were clustered around them, haggling costs and trying to strike a bargain, while others were content to just socialize with one another and enjoy a pleasant day.

Hardly ten seconds had passed since leaving the safety of the trees before Pokémon began to notice that a new pair of visitors were entering the clearing. Many of them had the same reaction to seeing the two – greeting the familiar Gardevoir with either a smile or a wave, only to have their eyes grew wide at noticing her new Espeon companion. Within moments, Amy found that there were far more eyes on her than she felt comfortable with. She glanced up at Gallia, her heart beating like a jackhammer, only to be dismayed at seeing the village's healer gesturing for her to follow as she made straight towards the hoard of waiting Pokémon.

"Come on, Amy, it won't be nearly as bad as you're making it out to be. Besides, there's someone I'd really like for you to be acquainted with."

Much to her own surprise, Amy found that she was able to take the first step forward. Sure, her legs felt like wet noodles as they threatened to buckle and give out from beneath her, but she was able to follow Gallia nonetheless. And before she knew it, the two of them were immersed in the crowd of Pokémon going about their business with the trading caravan.

And what a trial it was! As the pair moved alongside creatures that Amy could hardly begin to describe, she could feel every eye on her. Her body felt as though it were on autopilot as she watched every creature she could find, head swiveling back and forth to meet faces of surprise and disbelief. Human emotions on things that weren't exactly human, it was all so surreal.

"Ah, there he is. Sirden! Over here!"

Gallia called out, drawing even more unwanted attention to Amy as she waved to someone beyond a small huddle of creatures that she was unable to see past. A few seconds later, another Pokémon was weaving their way about the clearing, making a clear path towards Gallia. It reminded her of the Gardevoir in so many ways: the roughly humanoid shape, the vibrant green and white palette, the same brilliant ruby eyes, and even the same fin-like object protruding from its chest. Yet somehow, it just wasn't said species of Pokémon. While Gallia was the very embodiment of grace and all that was lady-like, this creature was decidedly more masculine, if the lack of a flowing gown and the presence of (literally) bladed elbows were any indication. There was still a certain air about him, however. Every motion had a certain poise to it, a natural elegance that screamed 'I can be your prince charming'.

"There you are, Gallia. I thought for sure that you would still be asleep."

His voice was lax and teasing, yet still held a properness to it that made him sound so formal. To sum it up, this Pokémon seemed as if he could be the perfect soulmate for Gallia.

A conclusion proven all too correct when he leaned in and planted a quick peck on her cheek.

 _Heh, nice to see that I'm already developing my Psychic-type powers..._

Gallia playfully pushed the Pokémon away from her and rolled her eyes.

"Oh you – I don't sleep _that_ late. Besides, I've brought someone to introduce you to, unless you were too busy swooning over your 'pure maiden' to notice?"

The Pokémon's cheeks took on a faint blush at her words, prompting him to actually look beside her and notice that Amy had been standing there the whole time. With a start, he quickly bowed in apology.

"Ah, forgive my negligence in introducing myself, miss Espeon. I'm Sirden of Azurview, Gallade, proud husband to Gallia, and sworn protector of Merri Village. It's a pleasure to meet you under much better circumstances."

Amy blinked, looking to the Gallade uncertainly before responding.

"Oh, u-umm, pleased to meet you too, Sirden. I'm Amy."

Sirden raised a brow.

"A rather unusual name, but it has a nice sound to it regardless. You were unconscious at the time, but I was the one who first found you. I was making my rounds along the perimeter of the village when I found you passed out on the road heading north. I couldn't wake you up, so I brought you straight to Gallia's patient house."

"R-Really? I didn't mean to worry anybody, it just sorta happened. I was... uh..."

Amy trailed off, what should she say to this? It had hardly been five minutes and she was already realizing the worst-case scenario she had envisioned of talking herself into a corner and somehow letting on that she wasn't a normal Pokémon.

To her surprise, though, Sirden's face grew more apologetic.

"You don't have to tell me what you were up to if you don't want to. Everyone has a secret or two, and I hardly meant to make you feel uncomfortable."

"No no, it's okay! I just—"

Amy bit her lip and went quiet. Glancing up at Gallia, she was met with an amused, almost knowing smile. Had she known how the conversation would play out this entire time? If so, she could definitely see why the Gardevoir would pick her own husband as the first Pokémon to meet. He seemed so simple in spite of his demeanor, so easy to please. Looking back to Sirden, she saw that he was watching her expectantly, patiently waiting for her to continue. And just like that, she knew exactly what to say.

"Thank you..."

The words were quick and a bit clumsy, but that seemed more than enough for the Gallade as his smile broadened.

"My pleasure. Say, why don't we move somewhere else? We seem to be getting in the way of things with all the attention."

Amy looked around, the spell of the conversation broken. All around her, she could see that Pokémon were still staring, a circle of curious faces slowly beginning to form around the three of them. The younger ones going as far as to climb over one another to try and get a better look at her. At his request, Amy and Gallia followed him as the thin circle parted. In no time, they approached one of few vacant wagons and resettled. They were no longer in the center of all the Pokémon, much to Amy's relief, but now that she had been spotted, she could clearly see all the quick glances thrown her way. However, she hardly had time to make anything of it before she found herself drawn to Gallia as she conversed with her lover.

"So, how have things been in the clearing? I'd come earlier to get the things for a quick breakfast with Amy, but I haven't been back since."

Sirden shrugged.

"Things had ben going well at the start, but an issue's come up that has quite a few of the villagers upset. Can't you sense it?"

"Mm, now that you mention it, I do sense some agitation. What's wrong?"

"It's the new Fire-type that Nedos hired to work on the meat wagon. Apparently, he lied to him about being able to prepare meats properly and ended up burning most of what —"

"I heard my name! You lot better not be talkin' behind my back!"

A booming voice shot up from behind Sirden and Gallia, actually causing the two to start and prompting the blade-like extensions of Sirden's elbows to shoot out into wickedly sharp points. Amy could almost feel her heart stop as thunderous footfalls nearly lifted her off the ground with every step. She watched in horror as a monstrous figure began approaching them with an aggressive glare on its face. It had a bipedal form with a deep purple hide and plated gray skin running from its chest down. Many sharp spines and horns covered its body, but most importantly, it was big, _very_ big. For the first time since waking up as an Espeon, Amy was genuinely concerned for her well-being. All the fine hairs on her body stood on end while her ears flattened against her head. She felt herself lower her stance and her lips cocked into a quiet snarl as she backed away from the approaching monster. The air around her felt charged and she was ready to run for her life.

In a flash, Gallia was between the two of them, her arms spread wide. She looked a bit breathless, but she stood unwavering in front of the massive beast.

"It's okay, Nedos, it's just us. What in the Creator's name has you so worked up?"

The large creature slowed his approach, coming to an eventual stop upon noticing his aggression. With a loud growl, he began venting his apparent frustration.

"It's that damn Pansear! He tricked me and ended up ruining most of what I had set out for the meat wagon today! And now every 'mon with a taste for meat's on my back, wanting goods that I can't give. Let me tell ya, I have half a mind to throttle that pipsqueak for pulling the wool over me like that!"

Amy felt herself begin to relax as a calming wave began to wash over her. It must have been from Gallia, because the large creature also appeared to be simmering down a little bit as he grumbled quietly to himself about something. The former human's face flushed once again at her actions and her posture returned to a more normal state as Sirden made his way over to the large Pokémon and his wife to try and better understand the situation.

"I mean no offense, but couldn't you just prepare the foods yourself?"

Nedos snorted.

"Hah, even if I knew how to do half as good a job as a Fire-type, it's never a good idea to let a Poison 'mon like myself anywhere close to food. C'mon, I know you're smarter than that."

The behemoth creature turned his smoldering gaze away from the two other Pokémon, only to blink a few times as he seemed to notice for the first time that Amy existed. His stare was uncomfortable enough to make her fur stand back up, but she was determined not to run in spite of her body screaming for her to do so. Did she even know how in this body?

"Ah, you must be the little miss I heard about when I rumbled on in. Heheh, sorry 'bout that hissy fit – I'm usually not so venomous at others like that. Name's Nedos, head of this little caravan you see here."

Amy made no attempt to reply. She just stared, heart racing a mile a minute. After a few moments of silence, Nedos simply grunted and turned back towards Gallia and Sirden.

"Anyways, that's pretty much the gist of my problems: my new cook can't cook, and now every meat-eating 'mon is at my throat about it. I even tried askin' around, but nobody else in the caravan or village is willing to take up the mantle until we're ready to go, not that they could hold a candle to what Boaros could cook – no offense to your folk."

Gallia shrugged.

"None taken, I suppose. Though I hardly understand why no one would at least try to help and fix this."

"Mm, your guess is as good as mine. Twisted Hells, I'd bet that even this new friend of yours could at least cook something without burning it, and I doubt she's even seen a kitchen or raw Ducklett in her life!"

Amy felt her eyes narrow into a glare as the large Pokémon gestured her way. While it was certainly nice that he didn't want to kill her, she couldn't help but be the least bit angry at how he was acting. She felt like she had just been stereotyped in some way, and it hurt like an ill-placed needle in the arm – especially when the exact opposite was the case.

Which was probably why she couldn't stop the words before they fell from her mouth.

"That's not true! I bet I could cook circles around anyone you've ever met!"

She immediately snapped her mouth closed and wished she had a roll of duct tape, but it was far too late now. As one, the three Pokémon turned to stare at her, each with varying degrees of surprise and intrigue written on their faces. With a cocked brow, Nedos looked her up and down, seeming to appraise her for something he had missed.

"Go on."

And she did. Fueled by her still-flustered state and a fresh rush of adrenalin from remarking at the monstrous Pokémon, Amy found that she couldn't stop from going on and on about herself.

"Well – I mean, uh... yeah, I-I know a little here and there about it, b-but I'm a far cry from anything world-class and stuff. Everything I've know is mostly what my mom taught me, but I've always wanted to try and become a professional. That or a pop star, but my dad totally talked me down from that one—"

And she went on, rambling about little things, useless things that had very little relevance to the conversation that had been brought up, but she didn't stop. It was like the sheer intimidation factor of the towering Pokémon had broken some sort of valve on her voice box, and now she couldn't shut herself up. She knew that she would regret saying what she was saying in due time, heck, she was already feeling that way about some of what had already spouted out. Did they even know what a pop star was in this world? She couldn't help but cringe at herself – this was quickly becoming quite the disaster.

– **-**

Far to the south of Merri Village, very much the same sentiment was being felt. A Mismagius hurried through vast, arching corridors from deep within a palace, hardly bothering to appreciate the intricacies of the stonework as she silently flew past several servants – even going as far as to phase through one of them to reach her destination in a timely manner. Within a minute, she managed to navigate the maze of hallways and reach the end of a particularly ornate stretch of hall with a pair of massive doors. They were built from solid wood carved from master crafts'mon and accented with heavy hinges and gorgeous handles – both gold-plated and worth more than her own life.

In front of the doors stood a pair of Aegislash, two unmoving and emotionless sentries whose burning eyes pierced her eidolon and bore straight into her very essence. Carefully, she approached the royal guards, who continued to sit motionless behind the impressive polish of their shields. As she drew ever closer, however, the pair of Pokémon responded in kind by slowly levitating higher and removing themselves from the nigh impenetrable stance they took when charged with defending something.

She stopped right where she was, wary of being attacked by Pokémon that were hardly supposed to be her enemy. With a quiet cough, she cleared her throat and spoke aloud, her voice echoing through the hall.

"Greetings, I am Zephosa of Willoway. I have come to gain emergency access to His Highness' private audience chamber. There are matters of utmost importance that I must discuss with him."

There was no response, or at least, not at first. The Aegislash continued to stare her down with their unblinking gaze as they hovered above, now fully unsheathed and ready to strike with their mercilessly sharp bodies. For a brief moment, she was beginning to think that she would have to retreat and approach her king at a later point in time. But that was absurd – the matter at hand was dire and could _not_ wait any longer!

Thankfully, it seemed as though fate agreed with her on this matter; there was a muffled noise that came from behind the door, and ever so slowly, it was pushed open from the other side to reveal an Absol. His fur had been brushed thoroughly, and the Ghost-type could smell the lingering odors of fine soaps about him. He wore his extravagant collar with pride, but not even the finest grooming in the world could hide the fact that he looked less than pleased to be disturbed at this time.

"Ah, Miss Zephosa, it's you. What brings the esteemed Oracle of Omens to the palace on such short notice? Everything is going well, I assume?"

Zephosa narrowed her eyes at the steward, the sarcasm in his voice hardly lost on her. She opened her mouth to give a retort, only to abruptly stop in realizing that her intended response would likely have her removed from the premises. Why of all times did she have to put up with this arrogant excuse for a Dark-type?

"You know better than most what my powers entail, Istrus. If there were ever a day in which my visions foretold of things going 'well', there would surely be a celebration held in my name. We both know why I've come here, so why not skip the formalities and permit me access to His Highness' audience chambers. I have dire news to present to him that _cannot_ be ignored."

Istrus frowned, glancing to either side of himself to peer at the Aegislash. They made no effort to look back, instead focusing their hollow stares at the potential threat that presented herself before them. With a quiet huff, the Absol looked back towards Zephosa, wearing an apologetic look that was so fake that it actually offended her.

"My sincerest apologies, but His Majesty is currently entertaining an unexpected guest. I am certain that he would want to hear of this news you have, but as it stands now, an interesting situation has developed in the throne room. If you were to return in an hour or two, I believe—"

The steward trailed off as Zephosa drew dangerously close, ignoring how the Aegislash tensed their forms and moved to match her advance. Now mere inches away from his muzzle, the oracle whispered her vision – a simple sentence that she knew would resolve this situation and grant her the access she desired.

"The Bringer of Day may very well be walking amongst us yet again..."

Zephosa watched with immense satisfaction as the Absol's eyes flew open, the midnight blue of his skin becoming more of a gray as the color drained from it. He recoiled from the words, as if she had just uttered a promise of death upon him and his family – which may very well be the case with such horrifying news. To his credit, though, he did an exceptional job of composing himself and hiding the panic on his face... although he was now quite literally trembling where he stood.

"I see... in that case, I shall speak to His Majesty and implore that he takes immediate audience with you. Guards, this Pokémon before you is hereby a guest of the palace and will be treated as such until her departure."

With that, the steward retreated behind the doors, closing them with what little telekinesis he could muster from his Hidden Power. The Aegislash relaxed and returned to their defensive stances as Zephosa waited, the hallway bathed in a fresh silence. It went on like this for several more minutes before the doors opened once more to, again, reveal the Absol. He didn't seem as spooked as before, but there was still an obvious panic about him now that he knew the scope of the issue.

"His Majesty awaits, Miss Zephosa. Please follow me so that we may reach him."

The Absol turned and began walking back into the room that lay behind him, beckoning the Mismagius to follow as he did so. She complied, trailing right behind the Dark-type as the doors closed behind her. What sat beyond the doors was an enormous room constructed of white marble and accented with a cascade of colors from the light pouring through the stained glass. It was long, wide, and held the specially crafted platform that their king used as a throne at the opposite end. There was no one sitting in it, which meant that the steward had indeed set up the meeting to be held in the private chamber. That was good, the last thing the kingdom of Ridan needed was for the prying ears of a servant or another member of the royal court to send it into hysteria from the news she had.

The pair continued further into the room, moving in an almost reverent fashion past the large dais that the king's platform sat atop. Once they made it to the back of the room, just past the throne-like object, they were met with another set of solid doors, though they were much smaller than the ones that initially led into the main throne room. After the two had made their way through them, they found themselves within a smaller, much more plain hallway that branched off in a few different directions. The Absol took the corridor that appeared almost immediately to the right, with Zephosa following in relative silence. At its end was one last door guarded by a lone Aegislash that sat imposingly in front of the entrance. This was it, the private audience chamber for the King of Ridan. It felt like it had been ages since Zephosa had first been inside that very same room, moved to tears at the offer to assist both His Highness and the kingdom as a whole with what little she had. The pair drew nearer to the door, the Aegislash moving smoothly to the side so as to permit access to the room. If she had an actual heart, it would probably be beating like a drum right now. The oracle watched with baited breath as the elegant door was pulled open by a force that was neither Zephosa's nor the Absol's.

And on the other side of the doorway was their beloved monarch, King Maykine, undisputed ruler of Ridan.

Zephosa and Istrus entered the much smaller room with heads bowed in respect of the figure that sat proudly before them. In spite of this, the oracle couldn't help but cast furtive glances at the tentacles atop the Malamar's head, which were clasped with thick, cuff-like bands of gold encrusted with the finest gemstones she had ever seen. The Absol made his way to the side of his master and sat proudly next to him as Zephosa made to hover over a small platform that was her designated spot to address the monarch. Looking up, she could feel the overwhelming aura of authority that the Dark and Psychic Pokémon possessed as she drank in his form. It may have been because he was abnormally large for a Pokémon of his species, or simply the fact that he was the endearing ruler that she'd always looked up to, but she felt safe and reassured in his presence.

But he looked so _tired_ right now, like he had hardly slept all night. That would hardly strike her as unusual – especially with how Auristead had been squeezing their kingdom as of late, but to see it taking such a tole on his day-to-day health was distressing. Regardless, the regal Pokémon spoke with the same encompassing voice that had essentially become legend to the kingdom's inhabitants.

"Good morning, Zephosa. I find it a shame that you must come to bear ill news on such a pleasant day. Nevertheless, I thank you for bringing whatever misfortunes you have to my attention before it is too late. What is this 'dire news' that Istrus speaks to me of?"

Zephosa took a breath to steady herself.

"Your Majesty, this morning I was met with a vision. I will not bother with the details leading up to that moment, but do know that as a result, I am now convinced that The Bringer of Day once more treads the soil of Amaranth."

Words. In the end, that's all they were. But words were powerful, that much the Mismagius knew. A simple question could break the chains of despair in the same way that a few curt words could break a heart, and watching the towering King's body grow so tense only added to the notion that a single herald could do the work of an entire army. The room had become as quiet as death itself in those first moments, the only sound being the shallow breathing of its occupants. Eventually, however, the spell was broken by the grave voice of their ruler.

"Tell me everything that transpired. Spare no detail."

Zephosa nodded solemnly.

"Of course, sire. It was nearly dawn when I was struck with the vision. One moment I was reading by candlelight, the next, I found myself within the forests that grow just beyond our northern borders. To be more specific, I was in an unremarkable village that I believe to lay within Auristead. The sun had just come over the horizon, yet I had the distinct impression that very few were even awake. I was confused at first, but then, without warning, a sensation came over me that drew me eastward. It wasn't long before I found myself coming upon a small beach – one painted with blood and molten sand. There were four Pokémon there: a Gallade, a Delphox, and... an Espeon, who stood crying over the form of a child that I assumed was dying. I made a move to confront them, but before I could even leave the trees, the Espeon exploded into a blinding light than outshone all but the sun itself. After that, I found myself back at my home, where I set off immediately to inform you of this development."

Another silence followed suit, but this once wasn't as unsettling as before. Rather, it was a contemplative silence, one in which her beloved ruler sat with a deep look of concentration on his face. Finally, he let out a thoughtful grunt and spoke, his voice firm and authoritative.

"Zehosa, tell me more of this dying child you witnessed. For one, are you certain it was a child to begin with? And of what species did it belong to?"

Zephosa grimaced, trying hard not to shrink away from her King.

"I... cannot say much. I could hardly discern its actual age, nor its species. But something... something just compelled me to believe that it was a child, and for that, I apologize. But I believe that I caught a name while the Espeon was crying, right before she bathed the world in light."

"Did you now? What was it you heard?"

"Zolkir. The child's name was Zolkir..."

Maykine furrowed his brow.

"Hmm, that doesn't sound like a name one would normally hear outside of Ridan, but I know no Pokémon with a child by that name. Perhaps it was one of the children who belong to this village. That leads to the next question, though. Was this vision an accurate foretelling of things to come? Or was it merely symbolic in nature?"

Zephosa looked ashamedly away from her King.

"I would think it to be the former, m'lord, but I cannot be certain. Again, I apolog—"

Maykine cut her off with a shake of his head.

"There is no need for an apology. I know all too well the vague nature of powers and magics associated with the Psychic typing."

He then sighed.

"But that's hardly a significant concern to begin with. What _does_ matter is that your vision suggests that The Bringer of Day has indeed returned – a significant threat to my claim that cannot so easily be ignored. Istrus, contact General Shearon and have him come to me immediately. We must organize the scouting regiments to stake out the lands that Zephosa's vision specified and see if this Espeon does indeed exist. We will then deal with the situation accordingly."

Istrus' eyes widened.

"Y-Your Majesty, sneaking soldiers and assassins into Auristead would result in them redoubling their efforts to strangle our economy – and that would be _if_ they don't decide to invade us outright! Surely there must be another alternative."

"And I would gladly hear of any ploy of yours that would not involve reaching a Pokémon who resides within the realm of an enemy kingdom without crossing its borders, but as it stands, I doubt that there is any real choice in the matter, and we must act swiftly. Do realize that if our dear Zephosa has had this vision, then what odds would there be of Auristead's Council of Creation having a similar premonition? As childish as it may sound, we are in a race to claim The Bringer of Day's head, for if her power were to stand beside another's throne when they marched upon us... then all hope would be lost."

Istrus blanched slightly.

"I understand, please forgive my interruption. I will see to reaching out for General Shearon immediately."

With that, the Absol bowed to Maykine and hurried out of the room to do whatever it was stewards did best, leaving Zephosa alone within the looming presence of the Malamar. She spoke up quickly, as not to insult her King with an awkward silence.

"What would you have of me now, Your Majesty?"

Maykine gave a warm smile, however weak it may have been.

"You need not do any more than you already have. Your contributions this day may have been vital in ensuring our well-being. I knew I had made the right decision in appointing you as the royal oracle. I will be sure to compensate you for this in due time."

"Th-Thank you, Your Majesty, but knowing that I have forewarned my homeland of such a threat so that it may be overcome is payment enough for me."

Maykine chuckled.

"Nonsense! I insist that you be rewarded for this, but how...? Ah, I know, return to my throne room at this time tomorrow and I will introduce you to a Pokémon I met yesterday. I hardly wish to spoil who they are, but I've no doubt that you will be just as intrigued by them as I."

And just like that, the hasty audience was ended. Zephosa gave her farewells to her King and soon found herself outside of the palace gates – thrown once more into the bustling streets and boulevards of Duskrown City's royal district, the economic and political capitols of Ridan. As she hovered above the brick streets, she couldn't help but feel that something was... off. It didn't come in the form of a vision or premonition, rather, she just had this persistent feeling that something much larger than herself was beginning to fall into place and move the wheels of fate. Ridan, nay, the world, was about to find itself on the cusp of change, only she didn't know what that change was or what was going to cause it. But then again, perhaps she did know for that latter piece. Her mind flashed back to what she had seen in her vision that morning...

 _A young Espeon huddled over a dying child, tears rolling off of her face as she radiated with the light of The Bringer of Day, screaming a single name over and over..._

" _Zolkir!_ "

Why did that name sound so familiar to her?

* * *

 **Author's Note :**

 **And the plot thickens...**

 **Was this a good chapter? I honestly have no idea. Part of me wants to say "meh", while the rest of me wants to sleep after powering through my first bout of writer's block for the story. Good or bad, be sure to leave your thoughts in a review, it really helps me out if you have any advice to give, as well as also serving as a great motivator for me to keep on chugging along with this little story of mine.**

 **Also, we passed 1,000 total views while I was writing this chapter! I have no idea if that's a good thing for a fic that only had three chapters at the time of reaching said milestone, but I'm gonna hazard a guess and say that it's not bad.**

 **Review Reply :**

 **7sky: I'm glad you think the story is good enough to ignore grammar, spelling, etc. I unfortunately don't feel the same way, which is why I've asked for people to send in a review or PM detailing any typos they find so that I may correct them as soon as possible.**

 **PinkLion: The very existence of this chapter should answer that nagging question of yours ;)**

 **Fixerbacta, Just a reader, and Guest: Glad you're enjoying things so far!**

 **NanobotEX: And he strikes again! Thank you as always for reviewing this little story of mine. Yes, it will certainly be a difficult task to keep up such vivid and descriptive language throughout the entire story, which is why you'll notice that as we get higher and higher into the chapter count (assuming you stick around for that long), said language will be dialed back just a tiny bit. And as for the info dumping bit, I'll definitely be keeping as alert as possible to make sure that there isn't too much of that (not sure if I accomplished it with this chapter or not). And while I won't spoil anything, who's to say that those substantial gaps in knowledge Amy has about this world won't somehow advance the plot in unexpected ways?**

 **Chapter Trivia :**

 **Let's talk about Zephosa! She's an interesting character, right? No? Well** _ **too bad**_ **, because this is about her. Originally, she was never meant to be in this story – she's a reimagining of a character from an original fantasy sTory that I had tried to write at one point (and has since been scrapped). The original version of the character shares the same name and even has a similar role aMismagius.s an oracle of sorts who is prone to having prophetic visions that often times spell disaster. In fact, the only real difference between the two is that the original version of Zephosa was human, whereas this version is a Mismagius.**

 **As per usual, be sure to PM me a long list of screw-ups you found in this chapter so that I may fix them at once!**

 **See ya next chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

**A Home Like No Other**

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

"Don't get me wrong, I love my boy to death, but he can be such a paw-ful sometimes. He likes to sneak off whenever I'm asleep or not paying attention, and let's not even get started on some of the things he finds and brings into the den. Just the other day he—"

Amy half-listened as the giant, tawny rat sitting before her continued to chatter about her son. Her name was... well, she never gave her name, but she was apparently Tiran's mother. She was actually pretty nice, if not the least bit intimidating – she was a giant rat, after all, and seeing those enormous incisors when she smiled alongside her large size gave her goosebumps. But if there was one real complaint that Amy had, it was that this Pokémon liked to talk... and talk... _and_ _talk_.

"...And he's absolutely convinced that he can make any feral Pokémon into his friend! I thank the gods every day that they don't like to stay near civilization—"

Amy sighed inwardly, today had felt like a whirlwind so far. From being jolted awake from ultra-realistic nightmares, to forcing herself to leave the safety of her room just for some comfort from Gallia, and now being put into her current situation in which she was expected to interact with others to some capacity. She already felt drained, and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.

"...And I just can't wait to see how your baby turns out. Tiran has wanted a little playmate for so long. You see, he—"

Oh yeah, she was also supposed to have an _egg_ in a few days time. However, that fact was hardly a concern right now. At this particular moment, Amy was just focused on trying to be as innocuous as possible while she talked to the other Pokémon within the clearing. Apparently, seeing her ramble on at that terrifying Nedos guy somehow reassured everyone that it was okay to walk up to her and start striking up conversation. It was absurdly awkward for both sides at first, with many a stutter and a lot of Pokémon claiming that Amy's name was strange. But after a few go-arounds, she was beginning to feel just the tiniest bit more at ease here. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Gallia was right in the sense that talking to some of the villagers and even a vendor or two wasn't so different from talking to any other human stranger.

"So, have you thought of a name for when the little thing finally hatches?"

The question was enough to catch Amy's attention, dragging her away from her thoughts and unceremoniously dropping her back into reality.

"N-Name? I... umm, haven't really thought about it too much. I've been a bit preoccupied with things, y'know?"

The rat grinned, a much smaller gesture that didn't really show off her teeth. Was she aware of the fact that they made Amy feel uncomfortable?

"Oh, I understand what you mean. When I first moved here from Faeble, our sister village just up the road, I felt like I'd fallen into another world! Meeting all these new Pokémon, trying to dig out another den while Miss Gallia watched over Tiran's egg – it was all just one big change that took up all the time I had for thinking!"

It took all of the young woman's willpower to not laugh at the Pokémon's eerily spot-on analogy. Luckily for her, or maybe not, she didn't have to do it for long. She could hear heavy footfalls approaching from behind, alerting her to the presence of a large individual approaching.

"Alright, time for the two of ya to stop the chit-chat so we can work on this problem of ours."

The gruff and voluminous voice of Nedos cut their conversation short as the large creature stepped forth. Tiran's mother was definitely disheartened at having her conversation interrupted, but Amy was now focused on their sudden intruder. She could still hardly believe just how big he was compared to some of the other creatures she'd seen in terms of mass. She could clearly make out muscles rippling beneath his thick, armor-like hide as he moved about the clearing with steps that made the very ground beneath him tremble. And to top it all off, he still had a look on his face that was easily just as dangerous, if not more so, than the many spines on his body that appeared to be glistening with a dubious liquid at their tips. Gallia had introduced him as a Nidoking, but as far as Amy was concerned, he was an amalgamation of beasts and other untold horrors straight out of someone's worst nightmare. She knew it was unfair to think of him in such a way, especially when everyone else seemed unfazed by his existence, but he was just so... _scary_.

"Alright, Little Miss, everything's over at the red wagon. But I've gotta ask one more time: you're absolutely _sure_ you wanna help out and show this kid what to do? I don't mean to offend, but most Psychic 'mon like yourself aren't exactly renowned for being able to cook. Unless that mother of yours just so happens to be a Flareon working in a smoke pit, that is."

Amy hesitated for a moment, her heart beating just a little faster.

"Umm, no, my mom's not a Flareon, but she really enjoyed cooking for me and my family. Actually, most of my family knows how to make good food, I just so happened to pick up what they've showed me over the years."

Nedos raised a curious brow.

"A family of cooks, eh? They mustn't be from 'round these parts. But if that's the case, I'll be willing to trust ya."

Amy blinked, thrown off by what Nedos had just said. Trust her? But why? The two of them had literally just met! Shouldn't he be wary of others lying to him, especially after that Pansear Pokémon had done just that to cause this situation in the first place? It made no sense, which was probably why she gave voice to her concern.

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"Why would you just believe me like that? We hardly know each other, and you're willing to take my word just because I said that I know a few things about making food and stuff. Why would you be so trusting? Especially when you were just lied to by that Pokémon?"

Nedos was quiet, in fact, all the nearby Pokémon within earshot seemed to have lowered their volume in the wake of her question. Amy unconsciously put a few more paces between the two of them while a few of the other Pokémon who could hear the query traded quick glances with one another. The Nidoking continued staring at her with his set face, eyes narrowing as he bore straight into her quivering soul.

And then he laughed. It was a deep, rumbling noise that could have easily filled an entire mountain. His eyes glinted with a strange, almost prideful light as he stood just a little bit taler and flashed a toothy grin down at a bewildered Amy.

"I'm not nearly as dumb as I look, ya know. We Nido are renowned for commanding armies on this and every other continent, but we didn't earn that reputation by just being savage war mongers. We're keen observers and we can read into things much better than most would give us credit for. Do you wanna know why I trust your word? Heh, it's literally written all over your body. I can clearly see that you're intimidated by me, and that intimidation is wrenching the truth straight from your mouth. It takes serious guts to lie to a face like this."

"S-So, what about that Pansear?"

Nedos snorted.

"He was a fluke. I believed him because he pulled off his act flawlessly, which tells me that he's probably been lyin' most of his life – nothing more than street vermin. But what's more important is that he also made no attempt to steal from us yet, and he tried his damndest to commit to this game for as long as possible. That lets me know that he at least wants to change.

Anyways, that willingness to turn over a new leaf and your willingness to help is a culmination of coincidence that I can't pass up, which is why I'm letting someone help in the first place. But ah, I'm starting to ramble. Do ya get the point I'm making here?"

"And then some..."

As if some switch had been flipped in her head, Amy suddenly saw that there was more to this monstrous Pokémon than just teeth and claws. A curtain had been pulled away and a much more intelligent and recognizable being sat just beneath the surface. He was just like the other Pokémon she had talked to, just like the other humans too. They were one in the same.

And in that same vein, Amy also realized that she had fallen victim to Nedos' powers of observation.

"That first question you asked about me being sure, that was just a setup for you to see if I was actually lying about being able to cook, wasn't it?"

A devilish grin from the Nidoking was the only answer she received.

– **-**

Nedos led Amy towards one of the large wagons as Pokémon of all kinds made way for his lumbering form. Truthfully, she hardly had to be told that meat was to be prepared here – she could clearly smell the scent of smoke and cooked meat, or rather, smoke and _scorched_ meat. Her new nose was already warning her that something was amiss nearby as the repugnant odors of culinary catastrophe began to fill the air. Peeking around the Nidoking's large frame, she managed to catch a glimpse or two of the scene that lay just beyond the Pokémon moving out of the way. A fire sat burning in one of several small pits as light smoke rose up above. A Pokémon that Amy hadn't previously met sat and... did nothing. It looked to be a red and cream monkey-like creature with tufts of fur on its head and tail that reminded her of a flaming insignia. It had large ears, a teeny-tiny nose, and a lost expression on its face. Surprisingly enough, Fury also sat near the fire, batting twigs into the crackling flames in what seemed to be a fit of boredom. Once he saw Nedos approaching, however, he shot to his feet and backed off from the area.

"Hey you, I found someone who might be able to solve our little predicament."

The Nidoking's voice snapped the fiery Pokémon that Amy now assumed to be the Pansear back to its senses. It rose to its feet at haste and spun to face them. It seemed a lot more tense all of a sudden, which Amy could understand, given the circumstances. It gave the larger Pokémon a nervous glance before finally turning to look at who was accompanying him. It stared at Amy, blinking with a mix of confusion and intrigue all over its face.

"An Espeon? Here? That's... different. But how's a Psychic 'mon suppose to help us out of this mess?"

Nedos huffed, clearly annoyed with the Pansear and what he had done.

"I think it's pretty obvious. Little Miss here just so happens to know a few things about cooking. Better yet, she's volunteered to teach you a few things so that you don't end up runnin' this caravan into the ground."

Nedos gestured to Amy once again, who suddenly fund herself thrusted into the spotlight for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Quietly, she moved forward and smiled as best she could.

"The name's Amy. You must be the, uh, Pansear that I've been hearing about. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She extended one of her forelegs in an awkward gesture that tried to mimic a handshake, but the Pokémon didn't take it, instead staring at the paw and looking unsure of what he should do. Just the slightest bit flustered, Amy retracted her offer and tried to play it off as best she could while noting that handshakes couldn't really exist in a world where hands weren't commonplace.

"A-Anyways... like Nedos said, I'm here to help. I know how to roast, grill, and bake pretty much any kind of meat – I even know a little bit about smoking it from my uncle, but it's been so long since then that I probably can't do it right."

The Pansear stared back with a lingering look of skepticism on his face.

"Are you sure? Because in my experience, that sounds a bit too good to be true. Where I'm from, only a pit master or a con artist would say things like that, and no offense, but, er... you don't look like either to me. Shouldn't a 'mon like you be living fat and happy with the nobles up north?"

Amy felt herself frown. Just how important were Espeon in this world? Well, Gallia had said that they were symbols of righteousness or whatever, but she couldn't have meant that literally, right? She certainly didn't feel like she had suddenly become some morally upstanding role model. Would that change? Would she slowly begin to transform mentally in the same way she had physically? Would there be a point in the future when she stopped being Amy and became something else entirely?

She felt an unsettling chill run up her spine as the idea wormed its way through her head, much in the same manner as the short-lived bout of guilt and depression had done after her nightmare. No, she didn't need to think about this! She had to focus on what was right in front of her – the things that would keep her mind away from thoughts like that. Now where had she been? Oh right, she was talking to the Pansear.

"I... I'm... not exactly like other Pokémon, but that's not the point. I know how to cook, and you don't. Besides, can you honestly think of any reason that I would lie to you or anyone else about knowing my way around a good meal?"

The Pansear grimaced in contemplation as he tried to think of an answer. Meanwhile, Amy found herself trying to take deeper breaths to try and get everything back under control. She felt that she had done so well up until now. It would be a shame if she had a sudden breakdown in front of everyone.

Finally, the Pansear gave a shrug and a dismissive grunt.

"I guess you have a point, miss, but there's a saying we have in my hometown: 'you can't start a fire with just words'. You say you can cook and are willing to teach me, but _can_ you?"

It was in that moment that something stirred deep within Amy; she knew what had been said was a challenge, choice words meant to rile her up and get things moving, but he had said it in such a way as to start a smolder within herself. A competitive fire that she hadn't felt in a long time. A burning feeling in her chest that could have moved her just as well as an adrenaline rush. She still had no idea what the Ducklett was that Nedos had referred to, but she was determined right then and there to try and make the best damn one that the monkey Pokémon had ever eaten.

In an almost instinctual manner, her mind began to push all of her worries and fears to the side to make room for everything she knew about food. Her thoughts were consumed with different meats, ways they could be prepared, seasonings she could use, and ways they could be cooked. But before all the good stuff happened, she needed to take inventory and find out just exactly what she had here.

It had only been a few days since she last cooked, a few days too long, in her mind. She had almost forgotten how much it helped her when she was feeling bad, how therapeutic it was to be praised for making something that tasted good. This was it, the perfect distraction to take her mind off of everything that had happened.

"Alright, I think we're ready, then. Umm... can either of you show me what you've got? There's a lot of ways you can do meat, and I need to see what we have to work with so I know what I can and can't do."

Nedos grinned.

"Aye, now we're gettin' somewhere! Right this way, Little Miss. Most of everything we have concerning meats is in the wagon."

Amy trailed close behind Nedos and the Pansear as the three of them set off towards the structure. Unlike the other wagons in the clearing that were constructed in a way that was reminiscent of the wagons seen during the westward expansion of the United States, this one seemed to be completely sealed off from the elements, with an actual roof and a pair of large doors along its side. If she were being honest, the red colored wood paired with the overall shape of the wagon made it look more like an old caboose, only with spoked wheels instead of the metal ones that sat on railroad tracks. Nedos strolled up to the doors, twisting a handle and pulling them open.

The sight inside was unexpected, to say the least. Amy presumed that this world was roughly medieval in nature, so she was half-expecting something along the lines of barrels full of meats kept refrigerated with ice water or something, but what she saw hardly made any sense. The _entire_ inside of the wagon was coated in a thick layer of white ice, with several cuts of meat she hardly recognized lining the shelves and hanging from meathooks attached to the ceiling. She hardly had time to think before she noticed that something inside of the wagon was moving. She didn't quite understand what she was seeing at first, but after a moment, she realized that there was a large stalagmite of ice waddling towards them... or was it a stalactite? Regardless, it had eyes and was very much alive.

"Hi~!"

The creature's voice was shrill and effeminate, but the fact that it had actually spoken to begin with was enough to remind Amy that this was a world full of creatures she had never seen and possessed incredible powers. She was in the midst of racking her brain for a response when Nedos shoved his head into the frigid air coming from the wagon and began talking with the sentient ice-thing.

"Hey yourself, frosty. Do you think I can come in? Turns out our new Fire 'mon only knows how to scorch food rather than cook it. I need a few more Ducklett so that Little Miss here can try and show him a thing or two."

Amy blinked, realizing that Nedos had moved and pointed to her for the creature to see. The stalag... mite stared her down with yellowed eyes that sat behind a layer of ice that glinted in the copious sunlight offered by the wagon's open door. Amy wasn't quite sure what to make of her stare – she couldn't tell if the Pokémon was trying to read her with a critical eye or just taking in her features. Regardless, the creature soon bobbed her entire body up and down in a gesture that the former human could only assume was an equivalent to a nod.

"Okay!"

Just like that, the creature was out of the way.

Without wasting another moment, the Nidoking stepped forward and hauled himself into the wagon, leaving Amy and the Pansear alone with one another as he retrieved whatever he was looking for. She cast a quick glance towards the monkey-like Pokémon as he peered into the open doorway. The temptation to try and make small talk was certainly there, but before she had the opportunity to act on any of the questions that were going through her mind, Nedos had already reappeared from the wagon, cradling several bundles of cloth that she supposed was the Ducklett she was going to work with. She couldn't exactly see what it looked like from beneath the thick cloth they were wrapped in, but she could certainly make assumptions as to what it could be like. That didn't change the fact that it was a new kind of meat that she was supposed to show how to cook properly in spite of never having prepared it in her life.

How had she gotten herself into this again? Oh right, she'd driven her SUV off the side of a mountain and died...

Before she could continue her morbid train of thought, she found that Nedos had already stepped off the wagon with a heavy _thud_ and was now addressing her.

"Don't mind Crein. She can be a bit... odd, even when compared to other Bergmite, but she has the best of intentions. Anyways, why don't we head back to the fires so that we can get this show on the road?"

"Bye~!"

At the Bergmite's farewell, Nedos closed the door to the wagon and began moving with surprising speed in the direction of the fire pits they had just been at. Again, she trailed behind the towering Pokémon alongside the Pansear, but unlike on their way up to the wagon, Amy could once more feel butterflies in her stomach from the fact that she was actually about to teach someone how to cook. It wasn't so much the idea that she was about to teach, rather, it was the fact that she was far from home and teaching someone who wasn't exactly another human that was starting to get to her all of a sudden.

Approaching the fire pits for the second time, Amy could see that nothing had really changed in the few minutes they had been gone. Fury was still missing from when he had run off, though Gallia now stood nearby, opting to chat with Tiran's mother while Sirden quietly inched further and further away from the two Pokémon to escape the gabbing rat. Nedos approached a short table near the pits that Amy had failed to notice before and laid the bundles of cloth down on top of it. It looked as though this was going to be where she was going to prepare the meat before it was put over the fire.

Without so much as a word, Nedos gingerly pulled at the cloth wrapping the raw foods, being very careful not to have any part of his body come in direct contact with it. There were six bundles in total, and after a bit of expert pulling and prodding, the cloth was lifted away from all of them to reveal the Ducklett.

Amy felt all the nervous weight that had been pressing down on her lift with the fabric as she stared at the whole birds before her. They looked like, well, raw duck. They had already been beheaded, plucked, and presumably gutted for use in a kitchen. There were a few notable differences, however. For one, the proportions weren't exactly like that of any poultry she had ever dealt with before, and the fowl itself seemed quite large, even when taking her new size into account. Otherwise, it was just duck. She herself had never made one for dinner, but she knew some of the do's and do not's from watching her family fry turduckens for the holidays.

Amy paused when she noticed that Nedos was watching her very closely from the corner of her eye. Turning to look, she quickly realized that it wasn't just him. The Pansear, some of the random Pokémon going about the clearing, and even Gallia were all glancing her way as she eyed the uncooked food. They were watching, waiting for her to make a move and save the day from the tyranny of a certain Pokémon that was a bit too zealous with their fire. The pressure was on for her to begin, but _where_ should she begin?

 _C'mon Amy, it's just like all those campouts you had with grandpa... sort of. I think we always started with the fire, that's one of the most important parts. You can't really cook without a good heat._

Casting a quick look at the fire, she was met with only a smoldering pile of ash that let out wisps of smoke here and there. It would have to be built back up, but she had no idea if there was any good wood to use. Oh well, there was hardly any time to think, only act. With that in mind, she turned towards the Pansear and began trying to make preparations.

"A-Alright, let's get started then. We should focus on building up the fire and, uh, letting it burn a bit. Everything I'm about to show you doesn't matter if you don't hav any way to cook. That makes sense, right?"

The Pansear shrugged.

"Makes about as much sense as anything else I've heard today. Fire's the one thing I know better than most 'mon here. How big does it need to be?"

"Nothing incredible. Just bring some wood over here and we can work on it together. Oh, and make sure it's dry... and don't bring me anything with green on it."

"Aye aye ma'am."

Without any delay, the Pansear went off to gather what was needed for the fire. Meanwhile, Amy turned her gaze back to the raw Ducklett that sat on the table and immediately realized that there was already trouble being cooked up.

The damn things were frozen solid! How had she not noticed it before? Biting her lip, she chanced a look around and saw that many eyes were still on her. They were suddenly expecting her to fix this, but she had no conventional way to thaw the food in a timely manner. She had to think outside the box and do it _quick_.

Her brain working double time, Amy scanned her memories for anything that could save her. Letting the meat stay under a warm tap would be one of the quickest ways to defrost it on such short notice, but she doubted that any modern plumbing existed here in Merri Village, and perhaps even this world as a whole. What she had to work with were a few fire pits and access to at least some form of fresh water, given that Gallia had provided it for her yesterday.

It was in remembering that evening, however, that an idea came to mind. It wasn't an instantaneous realization, rather, it was more akin to slowly putting the pieces together in one of those absurdly large jigsaw puzzles. Slowly but surely, the metaphorical pieces of what she could probably do began to put themselves together as she thought harder and harder. It was a long shot, but it was the best thing she could come up with and not ruin the meat. More or less satisfied with what she had, she turned towards Nedos to start the plan.

"Umm, Nedos, do you have any large containers we can use? Something like a really big pot or a tub that can hold some of the meat and some water?"

Nedos gave a grunt of affirmation.

"Of course we do. We got a nice old tub used for washing pretty much anything that's dirty. What's the problem?"

"We can't cook these things over a fire when they're frozen, the rest of the meat will be burnt to a crisp by the time the insides are done. Just bring me that tub, I've got an idea. Oh, and _please_ wash it first."

The large Pokémon studied her for a brief moment before finally nodding and heading towards a different wagon, calling for his comrades to get him what he needed. With that done, Amy turned quickly towards Gallia and padded her way over to the Gardevoir as she continued to idly chat with the rat Pokémon while keeping an eye on her.

"Gallia, I need you right now. You wouldn't mind helping me with something, would you?"

Gallia gave a start, her conversation trailing off as she stared back at the former human in mild surprise.

"Me? Help? I don't mean to disappoint you, Amy, but I'm hardly of any use in a kitchen. I barely know a pot from a pan."

"It won't be too hard... I think. You won't even have to actually do any cooking. I just need you to use your powers for something. Can you move water the same way you can move other objects?"

The Gardevoir blinked.

"Of course. Manipulating a liquid body is one of the cornerstone exercises in developing advanced telekinetic control."

"...I'll just take that as a yes. So will you help? Please?"

Amy looked at the Gardevoir with a hopeful expression, watching as the Psychic-type considered the proposal once more.

"I... suppose it wouldn't be an issue if it doesn't involve me trying to be the heroic cook. Sure, I'll do it."

"Awesome! Oh, and before I forget, umm, Mr. Sirden?"

Amy glanced over to the Gallade, who at that point had inched quite a distance from his wife to try and escape having to listen to the energetic chatter. Having been caught, the Pokémon returned to the small group at haste. Once again beside Gallia, he bowed quickly in an apologetic manner.

"I, err, Miss Amy, what would you have of me?"

"Do you think you and maybe a couple of the other villagers could fetch us some fresh water? We'll need a lot, enough to fill what I'm hoping will be a large enough tub. Oh, and if you have any decently-sized pots, can you bring those too? It'll make things so much easier on our end of the problem."

Sirden gave a nod of his own.

"Ah, I can certainly do that. Though I must warn you that it may take a bit of time – the well that we use is just outside of the village's northernmost limits. A ten minute run from here, even when unburdened."

"That's fine, it'll give me more time to try and organize things for when you do get back."

Sirden gave another quick bow of the head before turning around and inquiring to some of the bipedal Pokémon that were nearest to him, presumably to get extra help for the task he had just undertaken.

"Ooh! Can I help too?"

Both Amy and Gallia looked over to see Tiran's mother looking at them with the same pleading expression that the former human had worn only a few seconds prior. The two traded a quick look before Amy spoke up.

"Wait, do you know how to cook...?"

"Nope!"

Amy frowned.

"Then probably not. Or at least, not with handling the meats. Hmm... oh! You said that you can dig dens, right? Well, if you could help by digging out one or two of these pits and make it big enough for whatever Sirden will bring back, I'd really appreciate it."

"On it!"

The large rat bounded off with a spring in her step as she made a beeline towards one of the small pits that weren't in use. From where she was standing, Amy could see the Pansear already on his way back, accompanied with one of the muscular Pokémon she'd talked to earlier who carried a stack of small logs to be burned. Likewise, Nedos was handling a sizable tub that looked like something that would be used to bob for apples, and all while the tawny rat Pokémon sent sprays of dirt dangerously close to the Ducklett as she hurried to make the small fire pit deeper and wider to properly accommodate any larger containers that they may soon find themselves using. She could hardly believe that everything was coming along so quickly; Pokémon worked fast!

"So what will we be doing, exactly?"

Gallia's question brought Amy back to her senses before her own thoughts could carry her away. She turned and looked back to the Gardevoir with a the most confident grin she could manage.

"We'll be thawing the meat as quick as we can, and all without actually cooking it. Or at least, that's what I'm hoping for."

"Hmm... would you be so kind as to elaborate?"

Amy's expression faltered as she tried to explain.

"Well, like I said, we can't exactly cook this stuff when it's frozen solid... unless you happen to have a crock pot or a pressure cooker."

"A what?"

"Exactly! That means we have to thaw the meat, and the best way to do that would be with warm, running water – but not too warm. Anyways, since I seriously doubt water from a tap exists here, we have to improvise. That's where you come in. If you can use your powers to move the water and make a strong enough current in the tub Nedos is bringing us, it should work just as good and we can have everything ready to put on the fire in no time."

Having worded it out in such a way, the young woman couldn't help but to be at least a little proud of such a neat idea. It sounded like a good plan in theory, but she still couldn't help but worry about how things would actually turn out. Gallia seemed to be impressed, however, and was nodding in thought.

"That's quite clever of you, if everything plays out as you intend, that is,. I should easily be able to help if that's all you require of me. I've never been particularly fond of meats, but I'm quite excited to see how everything turns out once you're finished with the cooking."

Amy chuckled.

"Oh, I won't be doing anything other than instructing and supervising. Until you show me how to do all those awesome Psychic-type tricks, I don't think me and my four-legged self can do anything but be bossy. Heh, could you imagine me having to wash these paws every time I take a step away from a table and walk across the floor?"

Gallia gave a quiet snort. Probably mulling the image over in her head.

"Now that _would_ be a sight to see. But for the record, I hardly need you to hound me on the issue of at least teaching you the basics of

your abilities. I've every intention of doing that, but _only_ after you've had that egg of yours. The last thing I want is for you to be suffering from migraines and the like by the time you're ready to lay."

Hearing that felt like a double-edged sword. On one hand (or paw), she would be able to learn some of what she had seen Gallia do already. And the prospect of being able to move stuff with her mind and read what others were thinking sounded very enticing. However, the Gardevoir's words also served as another quick reminder that she was mere days away from having an egg to take care of.

She must have been making a face, either that or Gallia could sense the sudden change in emotion, because the next thing she knew, the Pokémon was once more right beside her, an amused look on her face.

"That's funny, I could've sworn that I told you not to worry earlier."

Amy shot her a _look_ , prompting a quiet giggle from the Psychic and Fairy Pokémon.

"Okay, okay... just remember that I'm still here to help, and that you should focus on taking things one step at a time. Not to say that you should never think of the future, but for now, let's just forget that you have so much on that metaphorical plate and focus on what's going on at this very moment. If I'm not mistaken, Nedos and that Pansear are nearly back and they'll both need instructing for this little idea of yours."

Amy looked around and, sure enough, the two aforementioned Pokémon had nearly made it back to the fire pits. Amy gave a quiet, almost rueful laugh as she straightened up a bit more.

"Y'know, I don't deserve someone as nice as you. This is, what, the fourth or fifth time you've straightened me out in one day? Oh well, I guess you're right either way. I should listen to that advice and concentrate on just being bossy. Who knows? Maybe this bird won't end up half as bad as I think it'll be and we can have something decent for lunch."

"That's more the spirit!"

Gallia smiled, a gesture that Amy returned in spite of herself. Just as before, the almost angel-like Pokémon had saved her from her own feelings with just a few words of encouragement. Maybe the healer had been using a bit of her powers to help with the process, or perhaps she was just that good at knowing exactly what to say to brighten up someone's day. Regardless, she could only feel indebted to the Pokémon and what she had done so far. She didn't _have_ to take care of her, even after learning that Amy hailed from an entirely different world, and yet here she was, making sure she was fed, trying to integrate her into a new world, and even preparing to teach her how to be a Psychic-type and mother a baby Pokémon. Amy really needed to find a way to repay her sometime.

Also just as before was the sense that everything would turn out well in the end. Sure, she could hardly begin to guess how it would get to that point, but deep down, she just knew that it would. For now, though, she should just listen to the advice given and start working on getting everything set up to cook that damn Ducklett. That, and have faith that things were going to be alright for the time being.

–-

Everything was not alright...

Tiran frowned deeply as he tried to remember where he had put one of his secret burrows. It was around here somewhere, he just _knew_ it. Try as he might, however, it just couldn't be found. It had been funny at first – grinning to himself at the idea that it had been hidden so well that even the Pokémon who first made it could hardly remember where it had been. But after about half of an hour had passed searching through the countless thickets and shrubs of Merri Village's southern edge, he hardly felt like being happy about hiding something so well.

Now he felt a little sad. This must have been the third – no – the _fourth_ hiding spot he had forgotten the location of so far, and the spot he had just lost had by far some of the nicest things he had ever found when looking for stuff. He had a seashell that probably came from a Water-type Pokémon, a few berries he had found all on his own, a coin that someone had dropped, and a pretty green rock that had a leaf shape on it.

Maybe it was inside those bushes over there? Nope, just more dirt and thorns. With a sigh, Tiran withdrew from the plant, skillfully avoiding the pointy thorns as if they were poisonous... which they weren't, but it still hurt to get scratched and poked by them when you were moving around. The Normal-type fully retreated from the bush and fell flat on his rump, scanning his surroundings with deep concentration.

He could always ask his mother if she could find the spot for him, she was really good at finding things he hid. But if she found out that he was going outside of the village on his own again, she'd probably get really mad and would keep lecturing and lecturing until he felt like his ears were going to fall off. So that was probably a bad idea.

Oh! Perhaps his things were inside of that tiny tunnel beneath the tree over there. Wait , no. It wasn't under any tree, it was definitely hidden inside of one of these bushes. That was a problem though, because there were a _lot_ of bushes around here. Maybe some of the other kids had found his hiding spot and stole everything? It could happen, some of the kids were pretty mean and it wouldn't be new for them to do that. But if so, then how? He had hidden his things so well this time! No one would think about looking outside of the village for a hiding spot, would they?

Of course not! He wasn't some scared dummy like all the other kids said when they made fun of him! He was brave, he was smart...

The Rattata found himself blinking hard to keep himself from becoming too distracted. He had to focus on finding his hiding spot so that he wouldn't lose all that cool stuff. The only problem was that he, still, had no recollection of where he had chose to hide said stuff. Perhaps the best thing he could do is move back and forth along this side of the village, checking every—

 _ **Snap**_.

Tiran froze as the sound of a twig breaking rang through the silence of the forest surrounding the village. That was loud, too loud. He spun around, trying to discern where the noise had come from, but it was no use. The sound had already passed and now the forest was as quiet as ever. His instincts, however, told him that he wasn't alone, not truly. Something was watching him, a hundred pairs of eyes peering from every direction he could think of. This was another mean joke from the other children, it had to be!

"S-Stop it! I know you're there!"

No response.

"I mean it! I'll tell Miss Gallia and my Ma if you don't stop!"

Still nothing. Tiran could feel his heart racing like an Electric-type's now, every fiber in his body telling him to run, but he knew that if he did, they would come out and chase him. No, he had to prove that he wasn't a dumb scaredy-Skitty; he had to show them that he was brave, like Sirden and Nedos. He—

 _ **Rustle**_.

He had to run!

Tiran shot off like a bolt of lightning, his legs churning up the remnants of fallen leaves from last year's autumn as he zig-zagged between trees and bushes alike to lose whatever was chasing him. Left turn past this tree, right turn past the next, under a large root, through a bush. He looked back, only to see something dart across his field of vision, streaking along the forest floor and into another nearby thicket.

Nothing he tried seemed to work. No matter how he moved, he could still hear the sound of something chasing after him. Every so often, he could catch a shadow move just out of sight and amongst the thick cover that ran beside him. He looked around desperately for any sign of civilization, only to come to the horrifying realization that he didn't recognize his surroundings. Whatever was after him was pushing him away from the village, and he had been too caught up in trying to run away to notice it!

His tiny lungs were beginning to burn as he continued at top speed, but he knew that he couldn't keep up the pace for as long as the older children could. He would get tired and slow down enough so that his pursuer would be able to catch him. Could he hide? That would mean that he'd have to lose whatever was chasing him for at least a little bit – something he didn't know if he could do. But if he didn't try, he might be in big trouble.

With one last burst of speed, Tiran pushed himself as fast as he could to shake the creature. A sharp turn here, another turn there, and even a sudden turn to dive past more random greenery along the route. He took so many twists and turns in such a short time that he hardly even knew which direction he was going anymore.

And it seemed to work. He could no longer hear anything moving about anymore, but he didn't stop running for at least a few more seconds, spotting a perfect hiding place to wait out whatever could be hunting him down. Not even taking the time to be careful, the young Pokémon threw himself into a truly massive bush, crashing hard through more thorns and the like as he fell flat on his stomach in exhaustion.

Cautiously, Tiran eyed the inside of his new green fort. Where he now found himself was actually quite spacious for a bush – enough room for him to move an inch or two in any direction and not touch a single leaf or twig. Perhaps if he weren't fearing for his life and gasping for breath, he would have considered it the new best hiding spot he'd ever found. That was hardly important at the moment, however. Right now he needed to stay as quiet and unmoving as possible so that he didn't alert any predator... at least, according to his mother.

And so he did just that. Without making so much as a twitch from his tail, Tiran forced himself to breathe smaller breaths that were more quiet than the loud gulps he had been taking. It was hard at first, but it became less of an issue as he simply lay there and began to calm down. He stayed perfectly still for what felt like hours, even though he knew it hadn't been nearly that long. He waited several more minutes before he finally dared to make a move.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to push himself off of the ground. He took one good look at his surroundings, and then listened as hard as he could with his sensitive ears. He couldn't see any sign of whatever had been after him, nor did he hear anything aside from the natural sounds of the forest. Letting out a sigh of relief, he made a move for the small hole he had made in the bush when he had ran through it. He needed to think about where he could be and make his way home as soon as—

" _Gotcha!"_

Tiran had taken no more than three steps outside of the bush before a voice cut him off and something slammed into his side, sending him tumbling along the forest floor. He tried picking himself up and scurrying away, but whatever had hit him pounced, pinning him face-first to the ground with its weight. He struggled and squirm in panic, but it was no use, the creature was just too heavy for him. He even tried to scream for help, but again, the weight on top of him stopped the attempt, served to push the air out of his lungs in a pathetic squeak.

He could already feel the tears beginning to well up in his eyes and streak down his face as he taste of salt and dirt filled his mouth. He didn't want to be eaten, he was too little, too young. It wasn't fair!

Yet here he was.

"P-Please... I d-don't want to die..."

His voice was breathless and muffled as he choked out the words from beneath whatever lay on top of him. It made no immediate move to release him, but to his great relief, the weight seemed to lift off of him, if only slightly.

And then there was light. Tiran couldn't see exactly what was causing it or which direction it came from, but it was there. It persisted for several seconds before he could feel his captor beginning to shift atop him some more. Slowly, carefully, it climbed off as the light faded. Tiran made no move to get up, however, coming to the conclusion that if he tried, he would just be pinned again.

"Wow, you're a lot faster than you look. I thought I actually lost you for a second."

Tiran's teary eyes widened at the voice he heard. It was so familiar, yet it sounded unlike anything he had ever heard before. It had a ring to it that reminded him of when the older children were talking to each other and genuinely enjoying themselves, and for the briefest of moments, he wondered if he could actually sound like that, too.

It was his own voice that had just spoken to him, after all.

Finally, Tiran began to stand from where he had been pinned and made to turn around, moving deliberately so as to not make his attacker... attack. He soon managed to wheel himself around to face his captor, only to be met with the jarring sight of his own face.

The imposter Rattata looked just like him! Tiran knew that some Pokémon of the same species could look similar, of course, but it like actually looking into one of those mirror-thingies that Nedos sold sometimes. The double's fur was the same shade of purple, his tail had the same curl to it, and even the scratches and dirt he could feel on his body were there! But there was something different about the look on this imposter's face. It looked... older? Was that the right word to use?

The not-Tiran smiled gleefully, fully exposing the large front teeth, _his_ front teeth, that all Rattata had.

"That was a fun game. Wanna play some more?"

* * *

 **Author's Note** **:**

 **Whoops, I never meant for it to be this long of a wait for this update, I swear! Life has a funny way of screwing with you when you least expect it. All excuses aside, welcome back to another installment of** _ **A Home Like No**_ _**Other**_ **! As you may have noticed, this chapter (as well as the Chapter 4 rewrite) has a more simplified writing style that lacks those pesky dialogue tags that I seldom know how to punctuate properly. For consistency's sake, I will be doing rewrites of the first three chapters using this style as well, though I can hardly tell you when they'll drop.**

 **As for the content for this chapter... I think that it personally comes off as a bit weak (though the first version of Chapter 3 still holds the title of being the worst, in my opinion). Regardless, bits and pieces of the good ol' plot machine are slowly falling into place and preparing to soon throw us into the first story arc I have planned for this dumpster fire of a story you're reading. I hope you're enjoying it either way, though.**

 **Review Reply** **:**

 **Miner7365 – (Chapter 1) – Unfortunately, you sort of hit the nail right on the coffin as far as the whole car wreck goes. If you've read up to this point, it's no secret that I kinda suck at writing. The accident itself and some of the detail I put into it was an attempt to really grab the reader's attention within the first few paragraphs. Aside from that, there isn't really much else to that whole section of the story.**

 **And as for Amy's status as mother-to-be... yeah, I'm not even gonna try to hide the fact that I could have developed the idea a bit more before I began writing. I certainly didn't intend for it to be interpreted as something that seems like it came straight out of some weird fetish fic, but do know that I have no intention of making this story "explicit" in any way, shape, or form (though I may straddle the line with a joke here and there). All in all, the issue will resolve itself once the egg is on the outside. I appreciate the feedback nd hope you weren't too disturbed.**

 **Carrot – (Chapter 4) – Your patience has been rewarded!**

 **Calvire – (Chapter 4)** – **I no, I suk at proofreading my own storys :(**

 **NanobotEX – (Chapter 4) – As always, I appreciate the feedback I receive from you! Hopefully I did a decent job of taking your advice in the Chapter 4 rewrite. I tried to make things more show and less tell, while also trying to keep all the good stuff relatively unchanged, but I can't say for sure I did it as well as I could've.**

 **I can also appreciate the imagination you have in regards to how things will play out between the kingdoms of Ridan and Auristead. If I could offer a piece of advice, though, it would be to expect the unexpected. I would say more, but I don't want to accidentally clue you and the three or four readers in as to what I have planned for certain characters.**

 **Chapter Trivia** **:**

 **Ther is no trivia section for Chapter 5.**

 **As per usual, be sure to PM me a long list of screw-ups you found in this chapter so that I may fix them at once!**

 **See ya next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A Home Like No Other**

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

Something was happening in the small settlement of Merri Village. Something that stirred a fuzzy memory that lay in the far reaches of Amy's mind as she watched it unfold before her. She'd never been caught up in the whirlwind of Pokémon games like so many of the other kids she'd known growing up, and for the longest time, she'd thought that she knew absolutely nothing about the franchise aside from the fact that Pikachu was its mascot. But as she looked on at the scene before her, she remembered something that she shouldn't have in any normal circumstance. A memory of riding home on a school bus, peeking over the seat in front of her with keen interest as two older boys sat together, their Gameboys linked together by a cable. The pair held her rapt attention as they trash talked one another and commanded fictional creatures that she'd never seen before in her life. Where she was now, it was probably an everyday occurrence that was hardly paid any mind to, but something told Amy that what she was now watching was likely the stuff that every serious Pokémon player's dreams were made of.

A real-life Pokémon battle.

Granted, the battle in question seemed to be little more than a squabble between a couple of children, but when you boiled it down, did that really matter? Amy looked on as a handful of Pokémon that seemed to be a little on the young side cheered for whoever they thought would win, forming a rough circle around the dueling pair at the other end of the clearing. None of the adults seemed to be too concerned. In fact, a few were actually casting an interested glance their way as the fight began in earnest. One of the contenders, a raccoon-like Pokémon covered from head to tail in zigzagging stripes, stayed true to its motif as it weaved around one of the tiny rock dogs that she'd seen running around earlier. The angry canid Pokémon snapped its jaws and attempted to charged its opponent, only to be met with empty air as the other child dodged with remarkable speed and retaliated with its own attacks, its body wrapped in a thin halo of white light as it danced around its opponent.

"Kids these days. Seems like they'll start a fight over anything."

Amy gave a start, whirling away from the spectacle at the sound of a voice. Approaching from behind was another one of the vendors that did business from the many wagons about the clearing. There was no easy way to describe this Pokémon other than being a perfect cross between a mushroom and a kangaroo. With a pleasant smile and a literal bounce in his step, he drew near until he stood right beside her. Amy, not quite sure how to respond, simply returned the smile as best she could and got straight to the point.

"I... wouldn't know that. At least, not yet. Umm, is this the wagon where you keep all the herbs and stuff? Nedos pointed me this way, but he wasn't exactly specific."

The Pokémon's face lit up, his eyes suddenly becoming a lot more calculating, much like that of a hunter's as they appraised their quarry.

"Aye, this is the place you're looking for. We've got a wide selection of fresh herbs purchased straight from the Grass-type districts of Singewreath, as well as an exotic collection of spices and other rare goods imported straight from the jungles of Falora. Are you looking to purchase something? If you're buying with coin, we have a special discount on—"

Amy cleared her throat.

"Actually, I'm just here to pick up whatever the previous guy working the meat wagon had stored away. I asked what exactly we had to season the meat with, and I was just told to come here and check it out. Oh, and Nedos also told me to tell you that it was free of charge, because apparently, you 'put a price tag on everything within claw's reach'. His words, not mine."

The strange fungus creature lowered his head, his green, mushroomy cap obscuring his eyes as his entire body seemed to droop a bit.

" _Tree rot_ , of course he'd tell you that. Yeah, I know exactly what you're looking for, just give me a few moments to dig around in the wagon and find it."

The Pokémon raised his head. He wore the same smile on his face, but the hurt in his eyes was more than a little apparent. He turned on his clawed feet, moving back towards the wagon with a bit less energy than before and a noticeable lack of bounciness that made Amy feel a bit guilty. She couldn't have actually hurt the Pokémon's feelings by turning down the offer to buy something, right?

...Right?

Not wanting to put any more thought into it, Amy turned her head away from the sulking mushroom, focusing instead on the children as they continued their little bout. She watched as the raccoon avoided yet another charge from the angry rock dog and delivered a strike into its flank, but the speedy attacks seemed to be doing little to the Pokémon aside from angering it further. Meanwhile, the raccoon seemed to be tiring itself out from all the effort it was taking to dodge. There was no strategy behind the fighting, and apart from the strange light that the raccoon Pokémon's body emanated whenever it zipped around, no displays of extraordinary power that Gallia had alluded to whenever she'd mentioned Pokémon 'types'. This was just some parallel of two little kids getting into a fight on the playground.

"Mm, come to think of it, this also kinda reminds me of when Tristan tore Vince a new one..."

Murmuring to herself, Amy's mind began to wander back to when she was barely ten. Vividly recalling the fateful Saturday when her big brother had beat the older boy who had dared to push his sister to the ground. It hurt to remember her brother's face, to know that both he and the rest of her family were an entire world away. But in that moment, the pain was drowned out by what she was recalling. She remembered the sensation of hot tears streaking down her face as she listened to two angry teens at the park, hurling profanities that she'd never heard before, screaming herself as the two began throwing punches at one another, and she most certainly remember the sickening _crunch_ of bone when her brother had hit the bully with a perfect overhand that managed to cave his nose in. Yes, she could remember so much, yet in that moment of recollection, something seemed... off. Something about what she was remembering felt _wrong_ to her, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it was. She scanned the memory's every detail to search for it: the exact locations, the date, the conversations both before and after the fight, _everything_. Much to her frustration, however, she couldn't find anything wrong with what she remembered. But still the feeling persisted, perhaps if she—

"Whoah, is something wrong?"

Amy once again started at the voice of the vendor as it sounded off right beside her. Her eyes flew open, hardly having realized that they'd been squeezed shut to begin with, and stared up at the Pokémon. He was giving her an odd look, one that straddled the line between her intrigue and concern. At the very least, it let her know that he'd probably just been trying to guilt trip her just a few moments ago.

"Oh, uh, yeah – wait, I mean... no. Everything's fine, I was just remembering something, is all."

She stumbled over her own words as the Pokémon continued eying her uncertainly.

"Are you sure? Because you were... ah, never mind. I've got what you asked for."

The vendor gestured towards his tail as it waggled about. Turning her attention towards its tip, Amy was met with the amusing sight of a small burlap sack tied closed with a cord that had been tied with an extra loop thar wrapped around the appendage. With a surprising display of dexterity, he spun the bag around on on his tail until the loop itself came undone, sending the still-closed bag skyward. She watched in stunned silence as it tumbled through the air, arcing slightly as gravity pulled it back down. For the briefest of moments, Amy believed the supplies to be lost. But then, much to her disbelief, a pair of green arms _stretched_ forward, grasping the bag as its contents quietly clinked a mere foot away from hitting the ground _._ Amy's wide-eyed stare followed the arms as they reeled themselves back in to the same smiling Pokémon who'd been carrying the bag to begin with.

"Whoah! That's incredible! I didn't know your arms could do that!"

Amy was beside herself at what she'd just seen the odd Pokémon do. The vendor gave an exuberant bow, seeming quite flattered as he set the bag down.

"Aww, that was nothing. Some Breloom can stretch their arms even farther than that. Honestly, I'm surprised that that ol' trick was enough to impress a 'mon like yourself – I had a whole routine worked out."

"And a sales pitch too, I'd bet."

The 'Breloom' turned his head, shooting a glare at the passing Pokémon who had spouted the comment. Amy withheld a giggle, watching as the animated, mushroomy creature huffed and turned his attention back to Amy. With a few deft tugs of his clawed hands, the string holding the bag closed was pulled away, revealing its contents as he pulled it open.

A handful of small glass jars, carefully cushioned with bunched cloth between them, sat proudly on display. Much to her relief, Amy found that the contents of many of the jars were easily identifiable as things one would find in any modern kitchen back home. She could make out sea salt, black peppercorns, what looked and smelled like garlic powder, a bit of sugar, and some ground sage and basil. There were even a few less common things, like dried lemongrass and... oh wow, was that _saffron_? In spite of the realization that the vendor had been tossing around an expensive spice like it was a toy, she was more intrigued than upset. Among the familiar ingredients she saw was a single jar containing a ground up something that she failed to recognize. That was to be expected, since she'd yet to extend her knowledge past anything that couldn't be purchased at the local grocery store. But just as compelling was the idea that what she was looking at didn't at all exist back on Earth. It was an interesting prospect, one that made her anxious to crack the jar open and see what it was like right then and there. And if it wasn't for that irritating lack of thumbs, she probably would've done just that.

"Is that going to be all for you, miss?"

"Yeah, this should do us just fine! Thank you, mister... umm..."

"Lyntinula, but everyone just calls me Lyn."

"Oh? Uh, thanks, Lyn."

The Breloom nodded, retying the cord around the sack and gently nudged it her way. Not giving herself a chance to feel uncomfortable about it, Amy took the top of the sack into her mouth, suddenly thankful that it wasn't as big as she thought it would be. Holding her head up so that she wouldn't get drool all over the bag, she turned just in time to see the rock dog standing triumphantly over the downed raccoon Pokémon struggling to pick itself up off the ground. Amy hesitated for a moment, wondering if she'd have to intervene or get Gallia, but as she glanced around, none of the others who had been watching seemed perturbed by the scene. Giving the situation the benefit of the doubt, she began making her way back towards the fires, where everything else was getting underway.

– **-**

"Impeccable timing, Miss Amy. I think we may be just about finished with our work here."

Sirden gave as genuine a smile as he could without breaking his concentration as he pinned the Ducklett to the bottom of the tub with his powers. Like Gallia, he could move objects using his mind, but according to both the Gallade and the Gardevoir, the former wasn't as suited for the task as most other Psychic-type Pokémon. Regardless, his eyes burned with the same violet light as he focused on the task at hand. Meanwhile, Gallia put all of her concentration into providing circulation to the warmed water as it swirled about the tub, defrosting the Ducklett at an impressive rate. It was a really neat system she'd come up with on such short notice. While the frozen meat was being defrosted, a couple of the muscular Pokémon (whose species she'd learned were referred to as Machoke) would intermittently scoop out the cooling water with large bowls and place it into one of the large pots set up on a few of the fires to be heated back up, all before being dumped back into the tub.

Putting the sack of seasonings beside the short table and peeking her head over the swirling water, she could clearly see that the meat was looking a lot less frosty. In fact, it almost looked like it was finished thawing! She'd have to poke and prod, just to be sure, but everything looked as though it was going great so far.

"Does this mean that we're actually ready to cook something now?"

The three glanced in the direction of the Pansear as he watched the waters swirl about. Amy had discovered almost immediately that social tact and politeness weren't exactly the monkey Pokémon's strong suits, instead he opted to be more up front and blunt about whatever thought crossed his mind. He came off as a bitt rude in that regard, but Amy could tell that he didn't necessarily mean to be that way. The silver lining was that he would probably ask about things he didn't understand, which in turn would help him to grasp what Amy was explaining, such as her rudimentary explanation for why they were thawing the Ducklett in the first place. He definitely wasn't privy to the world of cooking, but Nedos seemed to have been right in concluding that the Fire-type was willing to learn and perhaps be of use to the trading caravan as time went on.

"We're almost there, but first I'm gonna teach you how to whip up a a little something for seasoning before we stick it over the fire."

The Fire-type gave her a wary look.

"You sure that's a good idea? I mean, I don't even know how to cook the stuff in the first place, let alone make it... fancy like that."

"Aww, don't be that way, of course it's a good idea! I promise it's a lot easier than anyone you know's made it out to be. Besides, Gallia told me this caravan is where the villagers can buy higher-quality things. Food shouldn't be an exception, even if this is your first time making it. Besides, I'll be here to make sure everything goes smoothly."

Amy replied without missing a beat. In spite of no longer being human, no longer being able to walk on two legs, and being lost in a world not her own, she felt a strong sense of familiarity. Cooking was the one thing she'd always been good at, and becoming a Pokémon – while an inconvenience – wasn't about to change that. Teaching the Pansear what to do while also making sure everything turned out fine was something that shouldn't be an issue. With purpose, she made her way back to the table, where a cloth to lay the Ducklett on and two bowls (one of which was filled with water and had a chunk of lye soap floating within) had been placed.

"Alright, Gallia, let's check the bird."

Both of the Psychic-types nodded, visibly relaxing as the current in the tub began slowing to a halt. With a quick flick of her hand, one of the duck-like carcasses was enveloped in an aura of violet light and levitated out of the tub and onto the cloth beside the bowl of soap water. With quite a bit of effort, Amy stood on her hind legs and propped herself against the table before sticking a paw in the water and diligently rubbing it against the soap to get it as clean as she could. Almost as incredible as the Pokémon themselves was the proposition that some of them knew what germs were... sort of. When she'd asked Gallia about it as a quick aside, the Gardevoir had surprised her with the idea that many of the more scholarly Pokémon believed in creatures too small to be observed. That's not to say that they understood them, however, because Gallia seemed surprised that soap could help kill them, instead of merely washing them away. Regardless, it felt good for Amy to know that she wouldn't sound like a raving lunatic in talking about microscopic organisms.

Now satisfied with her paw. She removed it from the water and patted it off on the cloth, before firmly poking at the meat from every angle she could manage. Perfect. With effort, hoisted the bag of seasonings up onto the table and turned to the Pansear with a smile on her face.

"Alright, let's get you to open this bag so we can get this show on the road."

The Pansear frowned slightly.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but can't you open the bag yourself?"

"I don't have thumbs, and using my teeth would take too long."

"But you're a Psychic 'mon, you don't need either of those things."

All of a sudden, Amy felt herself faltering. Gallia was now giving her a wary look, whilst the others were curiously watching. She opened her mouth to reply, but found that it had suddenly gone dry. Of course they would think she was capable of doing all that crazy stuff that Gallia had talked about earlier. She fumbled for anything that could get her out of this corner she'd walked herself into, before the Gardevoir swooped in like the angel she was to save her.

"She's not so familiar with her Psychic abilities. She just recently became an Espeon, you know."

Amy felt her heart jump into her throat. Had she just—

"Ah, guess that makes sense. I bet being an eeveelution's a pain in the ass, with having to figure out a new type and all."

 _Huh...?_

Amy blinked, then blinked again. Turning her gaze back to Gallia, she saw that her companion was looking her way with a terribly fake smile and an urgent look in her eyes. With a cough, she found herself trying to play along with the save that she herself hardly understood.

"O-Oh yeah, I totally just became an Espeon! In fact, it wasn't long before you guys came rolling into the village when it happened! Nope, can't even push a piece of paper with my powers! Just a useless Psychic-type. Heheh..."

She grinned as wide as she could, blushing hard beneath her fur with a strange sense of embarrassment that seemed to sell that dreadful performance of hers. Most of the Pokémon seemed none the wiser... though she thought she could occasionally catch a contemplative look from Nedos in her periphery. She ignored it as best she could and got under way with the Pansear. In moments, they had a few of the jars on the table while Amy tried to give him a crash course on what he should know.

"Alright, so the first thing that you should know about flavoring meat – wait, let me start that over. Okay, the first thing you need to know about being a good cook in general is that the whole thing is an art. There are things you probably should and shouldn't do. But aside from following recipes and listening to what someone suggests, everything's surprisingly freeform, like painting a picture or chiseling a sculpture from a block of stone. That's, uh, pretty much the watered down version of what it is, or at least what it is to me. Anyways..."

And so the lesson went on. Amy explained the many ins and outs of anything she could think of pertaining to food as she guided the Fire-type in making the seasoning for the Ducklett. It ended up being a bare blend consisting simply of of garlic, basil, a pinch of salt, pepper, and the _tiniest_ helping of a slightly sweet smelling herb – one of the ones she'd never seen before – that she felt would go well with it. The flavor wouldn't be anything overly complex or extraordinary, but she didn't want to risk going overboard with the admittedly dwindling resources. That meant they also had to spread out the rub that was being made quite thin across all the carcasses, but that wasn't the worst thing that could happen, because while all the bells and whistles of good food preparation were nice, actually getting the meat to cook right was perhaps the most important paty. Time passed, and it wasn't long before the two had mixed the rub in the second bowl and had all the freshly seasoned Ducklett roasting on the fires on crudely built spits. It was around that idle time when Amy's mind began to wander a bit and come to a stupidly obvious realization.

"Hey, do you have a name?"

"What?"

The Pansear glanced over. He'd been watching one of the cooking Ducklett with a wary eye, as if it would suddenly burst into flames.

"I asked if you had a name. We've been messing around for a little bit now, and as scatterbrained as it sounds, I just remembered that you never introduced yourself. So who do I have the pleasure of working with this fine day?"

The Pansear visibly hesitated, his brows snapping together before turning his head to look back at the Dcklett.

"I... don't really know if I feel comfortable giving that kind of information to just anybody. It's a stupid name, and I wish I had the coin to change it."

Amy frowned.

"Aww, don't be that way. According to everyone I've met so far today, my name's a little on the weird side too. I bet you're just exaggerating."

The Fire-type was silent for a few moments, casting a quick look around to see if anyone else was listening to their conversation. Amy looked around as well, but everyone seemed to be paying more attention to either their own little conversations or the Ducklett on the fire. Seeing this, he finally sighed, grasping at his own tail to keep it from twitching about.

"Fine, I'll tell, but only if you promise not to let anyone else know. Nedos is the only other 'mon here that knows it."

"Okay, I promise I'll keep it secret."

"Swear it on your pyre?"

"Umm, sure."

She received a flat look from the Pansear before he eventually rolled his eyes and spoke in a low grumble.

"It's Hearth, no fancy house titles or surnames... just Hearth."

"I don't think that's a stupid name. It's sounds kinda nice, actually."

Hearth snorted.

"Meh, you're not a Fire-type, you wouldn't understand how ridiculous it is to have a name like that. Every 'mon who knows it back home never stop teasing me about it. Just please, don't tell anyone."

"Don't sweat it, my lips are sealed. But I do have one question."

"Yeah?"

Amy cast a another quick glance about the clearing until she spotted the Pokémon she had in mind.

"If we're going by Fire-type standards, would that make Fury a stupid name too?"

"Eh, I guess. Why, anyone you know have it?"

"The, uh, Flareon here does."

Hearth paused.

"Huh, I feel... a little bit better knowing that. Poor guy."

The two went quiet, watching as the heat of the fires around them began to slowly brown the skin and send an occasional spark into the air. Amy casually watched as Tiran of all Pokémon scampered about, watching everyone with keen interest as he did whatever he was doing. She could still feel the stare of Nedos on her back as she observed the few straggling villagers still milling about, moving ever so slightly closer as the meat began to cook in earnest. She felt good al of a sudden, so she continued to press the conversation as her tail slowly swayed to the silent rhythm of a familiar song playing in her head.

"So why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself? I'm a bit curious about why you lied to get on the caravan and all that, and I'd bet you have a pretty interesting story to tell."

Hearth looked over once again, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"What's that supposed to mean? Did Nedos put you up to this?"

"What? No! I'm just trying to break the ice and I genuinely want to know you a little better. I'm just being nice."

"Nice..."

The Pansear parroted the word, as if it was his first time ever hearing it in his life. He stared at Amy for a few moments before finally relaxing a little bit and gave a shrug.

"Well, there isn't much to say about me, if I'm being honest. I was hatched and raised in Singewreath City, just like most other Fire 'mon you'd come across in this part of the kingdom. Never actually knew my parents, I was abandoned as an egg and an old Heatmor picked up the torch. He did the best he could in raising me, but that didn't change the fact that we were poor as dirt, which naturally meant that I'd get involved with some shady 'mon down the road, which is exactly what happened."

Amy felt her ears droop a little, her tail no longer swishing with her mood having been snuffed out.

"Oh, I'm sorry you had to go through that. I didn't have too much growing up, but we had everything we needed. Did you, uh, ever get into any trouble?"

Hearth nodded.

"That's an unfortunate yes. Long story short, I got buddy-buddy with al the wrong Pokémon and got sucked into the life of a typical street weed. It was little things at first, like stealing a berry or two from a stand or going after the occasional coin purse, but it wasn't long until I was a part of a full-blown band of bandits that stalked the roads in the area. Luckily, if you could call it luck, I was brought back to my senses before I ever had a chance to be a part of anything that would have me executed."

"Really? What happened?"

Hearth turned away, his features unreadable as he stared at one of the fires.

"My Pa died."

The former human felt herself flinch at the words, her ears drooping even further.

"Aw crap, I didn't mean to—"

Hearth shook his head.

"Nah, it's alright. He was old, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Point is, I realized that him dying, in a weird way, was the last thing he did to help me. If he hadn't, my heart wouldn't have been torn to pieces and I wouldn't have taken the opportunity to look at what exactly I was doing with my life. Anyways, I snuck away from the bandits soon after and decided to try and turn over a new leaf. Problem is, it's hard to live an honest life when all you've done up until then was lie, cheat, and steal. I ended up giving my best act to Nedos to replace a vendor who'd just left a few days before then, and assumed my position at the meat wagon... all without knowing a damn thing about cooking."

"Huh, I bet everything from then to now was pretty nerve-racking."

Much to Amy's surprise, the sliver of pain in Hearth's eyes melted away and he let out a dry chuckle.

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. On the way here, I prayed to every Fire-type deity I could think of, hoping against hope that someone would come and pull me out of this hole I'm digging. Guess one of 'em heard me, because here I am stuck with an Espeon of all things, watching everything go smoothly for the most part."

Amy managed a weak smile.

"The world's a funny place, I guess."

"I'd guess you're probably right."

– **-**

"Smoke and cinders, that smells good."

After all the time that had passed, Fury had finally managed to make his way back to the fires that he'd hurried away from when Amy and Nedos had first approached. She grinned to herself at his putting into words what the rest of the lingering Pokémon were probably thinking. All the ones she'd associated with carnivores – especially the family of rocky canines – were transfixed by the sight and smell of the Ducklett as they finished roasting on their spits, dripping excess juices and rendered fat into what remained of the flames. She had a feeling that if she were to start waving them around, it would provoke a reaction similar to teasing an actual dog with table scraps.

"I think we're just about ready to eat it. Anyone want to help me get these things off the fire before we ruin anything else?"

Amy spoke, and the trance over those in the clearing was broken. Capable Pokémon came forward, carefully lifting the spits off of the fires and bringing the cooked meat to the table, which was _just_ big enough to hold all of it on some wooden plates after everything had been cleared away. The skin was a dark caramel, with traces of the pleasant, almost pungent aroma that was associated with the rub. They weren't the most beautiful birds she'd laid eyes on, but it was really nice considering the situation surrounding them.

"This all looks pretty good, like something you'd actually see at a city market. Consider me impressed."

Hearth spoke up from beside Amy, carefully looking the meat over for what was probably no reason whatsoever. She just rolled her eyes, poking the Pansear in the side with her paw. Not so surprisingly, he was pretty warm.

"The only one you should be impressed with is yourself. Except for the thawing and listening to me ramble on, you pretty much did all the work – putting the rub together, putting the rub on, turning the Ducklett so it would cook evenly, everything. _I'm_ the one who should be impressed, you did awesome for just your first time following instructions. Keep this up and everyone will be begging you to cook for them!"

Hearth went stiff as the air around him began to heat up a little. She couldn't tell for certain, but Amy had a sneaking suspicion that this was a Fire-type equivalent to a deep blush from being embarrassed or flustered.

"Y-You don't need to say that! It was nothing, honest! A-Any ash for brains could follow directions if they wanted. I'm not – I..."

Amy just found herself smothering a laugh. This day had really been a ride for her, but she'd somehow managed to come out on top. And now here she was, making a Pokémon stumble and stutter in the same way she'd been doing not just a little while ago. It was scary how fast she was acclimating to everything, but then again, perhaps not. These creatures... they weren't human, not on the outside. But just beneath the surface, underneath all the fur, hide, feathers, and abilities, were things that she could recognize and understand. And if there was one thing she understood just as well as food, it was people.

But that was a sentiment for another time. For now, the two of them needed to actually finish up what they were doing. Amy gave the fakest sigh of exasperation she'd ever given, cutting of Hearth as he continued to fumble.

"Just take the compliment."

He paused.

"...Thanks."

"Alright, if you two are done with all that mushy crud, it's time to cut up this batch and give these 'mon what they want. Don't forget that we're still behind schedule over here!"

Nedos interrupted, approaching from where he'd been watching for most of the cooking process. Held awkwardly in one claw was a long, sharp blade. With yet another surprising show of dexterity for the day, he flipped the knife around and tossed at Hearth hilt-first. He reached up and clumsily caught the blade, immediately turning to Amy with a pleading look on his face. Slowly, her smile began to slip as she realized something that was a little important.

"Umm, I hate to break it to you, but I have no idea how to carve whole poultry. That's something my dad's always done for me. Hmm... this'll be fun."

– **-**

Several hours had now passed since Amy had been in the clearing. She and Hearth had finished making the cooked meat for the villagers to buy and trade for, and had even stuck around for a few more hours to make a second, smaller batch for any of the Pokémon who wanted an easy dinner. Despite the trials and tribulations of trying to get good cuts from the meat, many of the Pokémon had been delighted at how everything had turned out. It had made her happy... up until the point that she began to receive all the praise for the work. Hearth had technically made it, after all, even if it was under her supervision. She'd even tried to apologize once everything began to slow down at the pits, but the Pansear had turned it down; he was just happy to have the whole situation finally blow over. Of course, he still knew very little when it came to cooking, but Amy had agreed to try and cram as much as she could into that little head of his before caravan left in another day.

As for now, she found herself in a similar scene to what she'd been in the prior evening: she was back in the patient house, laying on the large pillow within the same room and watching as the shadows crept across the room, the sun once more sinking beneath the tree line. It held the same dreamy atmosphere as it had yesterday, but it was lacking that same foreboding undertone she'd been victim to. It was now almost like the shadows were reaching to wrap her up and lull her weary body to sleep, rather than crush her spirits beneath the weight of her own inner turmoil. Much more relaxing overall.

That's not to say she wasn't lonely, because she was definitely feeling a sense of longing for someone's company – be it family, friend, or Pokémon. But she felt strong enough now to push it aside, leaving her with two things to do: eat her own dinner, and think back to what she'd experienced earlier that day.

She glanced over at the bowls of water and shredded Ducklett that sat alongside a few Oran Berries and a sickeningly sweet Pecha that had been left by Gallia not ten minutes ago. Her feet too sore from standing all day, Amy wriggled on the pillow, reaching from the plush bed to paw and pull the food towards herself until it was within head's reach. She then lazily stretched her neck from the pillow and began chowing down in relative comfort. The meat was growing cold and was slightly dry, but it was still pretty good for how little Hearth had done with it. Other than that offhand thought, most of her brain was being devoted to figuring out the mysterious sense of wrong she felt when she remembered her brother's fight.

Truthfully, it shouldn't have been much of a concern to her; some memories just faded or distorted over time, that's all there was to it. But the fact that she somehow _knew_ that the memory was wrong to begin with was a curious concern that had been sitting in the back of her mind ever since she'd remembered it. She leaned over every so often to nibble at the food while she stared ahead and racked her thoughts, not even noticing how she reflexively closed her eyes in concentration. Carefully, oh so carefully, she poured over every last detail. Had it really been a Saturday? Yeah, of course it had been – it was actually the day before she'd found out through her church's Sunday service that one of her friends was moving to Oklahoma. That whole weekend had been one big disaster, but she was getting off-track. What was so wrong? She was clenching her eyes again, her brain going into high gear as she replayed the day in her mind. Moment after countless moment, Amy remembered the day, taking note of every detail, every... every...

"...Oh."

Amy opened her eyes as the realization finally dawned on her. The answer to was looking for had been so simple, something that could've easily been overlooked unless she took a step back and looked at the bigger picture. To confirm her suspicions, she began to once more remember. Grimacing in concentration, she went back to that day, fast-forwarding to the following Monday. It had been just another day at school, three kids had been absent in her class, she'd heard her homeroom teacher talking about a puppy she'd adopted from a shelter, the lunch had been the school's disgusting excuse for a tater tot casserole, and it had been raining on that particular bus ride home. With little to no effort, she could recall the finest detail of that day. A day that had happened about fifteen years ago.

"Oh my God... I have a super memory!"

It was true. All of a sudden, everything she'd ever experienced was right there in her mind's eye, almost like a library of videos online that she could look at whenever she wanted. But it was more than that; she wasn't just limited to what she could remember seeing an hearing – everything that could be perceived with her five human senses was right there to be remembered. Even recalling what she'd been thinking and feeling during a particular moment was within the realm of possibility! It was nothing short of a miracle, yet as she lay there with her heart pounding and excitement running rampant, the memories began to grow fuzzy and distant once more. Confused, Amy waited with baited breath, but the memories never returned. She sat in stunned silence until another realization came upon her. Another memory, but not a distant one. It was something she'd heard from Gallia just this morning.

" _For instance, some Pokémon of our type channel their powers through intense concentration..._ "

That must be what was going on – she'd focused herself to the point that she'd unknowingly used Psychic-type powers to access memories that she'd thought either lost to time or too distant to remember! If that were truly the case, perhaps all she had to do was calm herself down and refocus on her memories again.

Amy had abandoned her food at this point, now sitting on her haunches and taking long, deep breaths to try and calm down. She eventually got herself to a more normal state, though she could still feel her heart flutter at the mere thought of using a Pokémon's power. It was very much like when Gallia had glimpsed her memories in that she was trying to clear her mind while she perused her own past for something to remember. What _should_ she remember, anyway? It was almost like getting on Netflix during the weekend, only to realize that you didn't actually know what you wanted to binge watch. She sat like this for what must have been minutes before she was struck with inspiration that nearly broke her concentration. With one final, calming breath, she closed her eyes and began to remember. Suddenly, her mind was flooded with countless memories she'd long forgotten about, and all with such detail as to emulate actually being there for a second time. It wasn't as potent of an experience as when Galila had coaxed them to the forefront of her mind with the mental link, but it was nonetheless impressive, and the idea that she was doing this all on her own...

Making sure not to let the excitement get the better of her, Amy steeled herself and let the sensations invoked by her own mind take precedence, skimming over days, weeks, and even years in a matter of seconds before finally finding herself back in her teen years as a seventh grade student. Like so many other days in her life, there wasn't anything extraordinary that had happened, but there _was_ one thing in particular that could help her with something for tomorrow. With that in mind, she hunkered down, the orange light of evening obscuring the pink light emanating from the gemstone in her head while she went though that interesting afternoon and began taking mental notes.

Yes, there was certainly something happening in the small settlement of Merri Village, and it wasn't limited to a human-turned-Pokémon just beginning to tap into powers that had the potential to swing the balance of power on the continent of Amaranth. As the early twilight grew into a dark night, a creature under the guise of a young Rattata snuck out of the village undetected, scurrying southward upon completing the assignment he'd been given. But that wasn't important, or at least, not as of this exact moment. A much more immediate development was beginning to unfold, and it was happening a lot closer to Amy than she would've ever guessed – less than a minute's run away from the patient house in which she rested.

– **-**

Gallia let out a contented sigh as she made herself comfortable in her bed. Sirden was making one last round through the village before coming in for the night, which gave her a short window to catch up on a bit of reading before the two of them were off to sleep. The light from the candle on the nightstand flickered as it burned, sending shadows skirting about in a dark choreography as she turned the book she'd traded for earlier today over in her hands. It was relatively short, a simple compilation of fictional shorts from the jungle continent of Falora, but it was a perfect read for someone such as herself. Perhaps if she were fast enough, she could finish the first story before Sirden returned.

Having settled on that, Gallia cracked open the book, running her fingers along the fresh parchment in appreciation of the work put into it. Such things were a rare a treat in this part of Auristead, so much so that the five or so books kept in the patient house were the only ones to be had in the entire village. With such a lack, the Gardevoir had grown quite the reverence for author and book binder alike. The first page was just a preface, disclaiming that all of the following tales were indeed fiction, which was normal. Maybe she'd look over it whenever she was rereading the book in its entirety, but for now, she just wanted to get into an actual story. Carefully flipping the page past the preface and index, she made it to the first actual work, titled _The First of the Faerie-Type_. Like a Water-type lost in the Great Desert, she greedily drank in the words on the page. The euphoria of finally reading something new after nearly a year was short lived, however, as a heavy knock on the door jolted her back to reality.

"Of course someone would want to talk to me now, of all times."

Gallia frowned as she continued to stare at the words on the page, albeit much more absently than she had just a second earlier. With much effort, she managed to pull herself out of the warmth and comfort of the bed, setting the book atop the covers and grabbing the candlestick beside her. She made her way through the house and made it to the front door, stopping to unlatch it before pushing it open. The Gardevoir blinked, staring at the gray chest of a Nidoking before craning her neck upwards to look into the face of Nedos. He was lit up by the light of his own lantern as he waited patiently for someone to answer. Gallia always found it funny to have to look up at him, especially considering that the average Nidoking was actually shorter than most Gardevoir, but all the mirth she felt at her thought began to evaporate once she finally noticed the serious expression on his face.

"Nedos? What brings you here this late in the evening? Don't tell me one of your traders hurt themselves again."

Much to her surprise, the Nidoking snorted, shaking his head.

"No, I wouldn't even think to bug you over something that simple. I'm here for an entirely different reason."

Gallia found herself hesitating. The Pokémon before her was looking uncharacteristically tense, but why? After a short pause, she decided to ask the most obvious question she could think of.

"And what reason would that be? And would you like to come in? It wouldn't be any trouble to sit you down."

Nedos shook his head again.

"No, that won't be necessary. Beside, it'd be a tight fit for a Pokémon as big as I am, and with any luck, this won't take long anyways. I'm here because I want to talk to you about the Little Miss."

Gallia felt her heart skip a beat at his mention of Amy. Had he already caught on to her? She certainly hoped not, but this was Nedos, a Pokémon who was as keen as any commanding officer in an army. A part of her suddenly regretted ever having persuaded Amy to enter the clearing in the first place, but what was done was done. The best she could do was play clueless and avoid answering any questions that could clue him in that something about the Espeon was truly different. She had to keep the secret, she just had to.

"Oh, you mean Amy? Sure, we can talk. Why? Did she, uh, do something wrong?"

Nedos chuckled, a forced rumble with all the poise and grace of a landslide.

"Heh, no, quite the opposite. According to what I'd seen, everyone enjoyed the late lunch, which was a huge weight off my shoulders. Having said that, though, both myself, my traders, and I'd bet at least a few of the other villagers are a bit... puzzled about her behavior among other things. I'm here hoping you'd be able to fill in a few details surrounding her. You've spent the most time with her, from what I've been told."

And there it was. He was looking to find more information about Amy, or at the very least, a lead he could look into. Gallia thought hard, choosing her words wisely.

"I may be able to help, but she hasn't exactly told me much about herself."

A clever half-truth. Sure she'd glimpsed her mind with her powers, but technically speaking, Amy indeed hadn't told her much. Nedos nodded, his eyes scanning her in what she could only assume was an attempt to read her in some capacity.

"Alright, then. Did she ever tell you where she'd come from?"

"No."

Gallia shook her head. Again, it was a half-truth. Amy hadn't specifically told her about her home when they'd first met, it was once more the glimpse into the former human's memories that told her what she knew. For one second, one _fleeting_ second, she thought that she may be able to get through this without any issue, but she'd underestimated just how much the Nidoking was aware of. He stared hard at her, his face unreadable, until he finally gave a quiet huff. He shifted his heavy body and leaned against the frame of her house, the wood groaning and creaking as he spoke.

"Let me rephrase that. Do you _know_ about who she is or where she came from?"

Gallia found herself at a loss for words. She knew that the caravan leader was clever, but to see just how privy he was in certain matters invoked an entirely different feeling. He knew... he knew that Psychic-types had trouble lying, especially to close-ended questions. If she answered with 'nothing' or something similar, he would probably be able to see the lie as plain as the horn on her chest and press his advantage. She could just not answer the question and end the conversation right then and there, but what would happen next? Nedos didn't seem like the kind of Pokémon to threaten an innocent bystander, much less raise a claw to them. But something about his very presence made dropping the topic impossible. The best she could do was try and deflect and dance around answers.

"I... may know a few things. But tell me, why are you so keen on finding out?"

Nedos sighed.

"Don't play this game, Gallia. You're naïve, not stupid. You know just as well as I do that an Espeon doesn't just pop up out of nowhere like this. Before now, Lady Erva was the only one on the whole continent. And most every 'mon on Amaranth – myself included – would've known if another one had arrived from somewhere else. Something ain't adding up, and don't you dare tell me otherwise. Just... please, tell me everything you know about her. It's only for the best."

Gallia folded her arms defensively.

"I can't do that."

"And why not?"

Nedos continued staring down at her, a shadow of a scowl on his face. He'd been right about one thing: she wasn't an idiot. She was more than capable of putting one and one together and determining what could happen given a situation's outcome.

"You're caravan is based out of Singewreath, which means that you're more likely than not funded by House Verdaunt. If I tell you anything about Amy, you'll just relay what you know back to Lord Slyphus and have her dragged into some political game she has no business being in to begin with. Moreover, I made a promise to keep secret what I've found out."

Nedos let out a deep, rumbling growl.

"Listen, I'm trying to be polite about this – I really am – but you're being hard-headed. If you won't tell me anything, will you at least open up your eyes and see how dangerous this is? There's a kingdom made up of mostly Dark and Ghost-types whose borders are less than two days away from here. If they so much as catch a whiff of an Espeon being this close to them, they'll be knockin' on our back door with an army, screaming vengeance for that little stunt you damned Psychics pulled."

Gallia shot the Nidoking a glare.

"Don't you dare lump me in with those warmongers! My mother wasn't even hatched when that happened!"

Nedos let out another huff.

"Does it really matter? With an exception of _one_ 'mon, every Psychic I've ever ran into has hated Dark-types with every fiber of their beings. I'm more than certain that you and Sirden have your reservations as well. But we're gettin' off-topic now, aren't we?"

Gallia opened her mouth to deny his claims, but found the words lodged in her throat. How could someone _not_ despise Dark-types? Nedos seemed to take her silence as an answer, as he continued speaking, pushing off of the wall of her house.

"Like I said, if you won't tell me what I want to know, can you at least see that the Little Miss is in a bad spot? She needs to get out of here as soon as possible, otherwise I feel that something bad'll happen. And that's why, like it or not, I'm gonna take her off your hands once we set off back to Singewreath."

Gallia's eyes widened as she just stared dumbly at the Nidoking. It took her several moments to process what he'd just said, but once she did, she was already there to try and stop him.

" _Absolutely not!_ She's going to head north eventually, but _not_ when she's only days away from having an egg! She's staying here, relaxed and without the stresses of travel."

"I'm not arguing with you, but for the record, you already screwed up on that 'without the stresses' shit. She looked about ready to faint when she first walked into the clearing, and all with that dumbstruck look on her face, like she'd never seen another Pokémon in her life."

He shook his head, finally stepping away from the doorway as he did so.

"We're leaving the morning after tomorrow. Do whatever you want to prepare her for the trip, but if I find out you're trying to convince her to stay here, well... just convince her otherwise. In the meantime, I've gotta get back to the caravan, make sure that little Hothead of mine doesn't incinerate our dinner while he's on his own, and catch up on some sleep."

The Nidoking spun around, mindful not to smash Gallia's doorframe with his muscular tail as he did so. He began lumbering off into the darkness, but Gallia stormed after him, her candle and his lamp being the only sources of light in the swirling darkness.

"Just what do you think you're doing?! You can't waltz on into this village and abduct my patients just because you think her being here is a risk! I'd put coin on no one from either kingdom knowing this place even exists, and I won't let you take her back to that traitorous lord and have her made into some political leverage!"

Nedos let out a heavy breath, but he never once turned back as he talked.

"I can at least agree with you on that last part. No, I'm not leading her back to Slyphus, but I _am_ gettin' her away from an angry nation that would want an innocent 'mon dead just for retribution's sake. Trust me, if she were anything other than an Espeon, I wouldn't be doin' this, but because she is, I'm gonna try my damndest to keep her out of harm's way. So stop arguing and let me help."

Nedos pushed on, leaving Gallia alone in the night as she slowed to a halt. She watched as his lantern grew further and further away, until it was a point of light that was swallowed by the trees. She knew that he was right, that everything he'd brought up were valid concerns. But for the life of her, she just couldn't bring herself to accept them. She alone bore Amy's secret of being a human, and she alone felt responsible for watching over her and keeping her safe. She didn't at all trust the Nidoking or his caravan to do the same, as able as they may be at fighting off trouble. And despite intentions, there was no way of knowing just how they'd react to discovering that she was a being not of this world. She glanced down at her candlestick, the light waving in the ever present sea breeze of the village. She was now on a time limit to keep Amy, and by proxy, her secret, from leaving the village.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm really sorry about how long this chapter took to get out. I went through, like, four different versions of the first section before I finally settled on the one you've read. Finishing up this chapter was also a bit hard to do – I found it difficult to motivate myself in the final stretch – but here we are. I don't think this was a good one, not by a long shot, but there** _ **is**_ **one silver lining to it: the ending you just read was a little tense here, and I can say with confidence that this is the point where the plot begins to finally pick up steam! Things are about to be set into motion, on a collision course to culminate into a perfect storm. It all begins with Chapter 7, the first chapter for there not to be any physical inclusion of Amy. It may not be as long as the standard length I've set up for this little ol' story, but it will still be substantial, or so I hope.**

 **On a seperate note, I think I now have an upload schedule worked out for the story. From this point on, I'll be trying to upload a new chapter within the first seven days of each month. In the event that I somehow get ahead in my writing, I may be inclined to upload two new chapters simultaneously, but don't hold your breath for that possibility... at least not at the moment.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE – Review Reply:**

 **As of this chapter forward, I will no longer be featuring my replies to reviews on this story. I will, however, reply to your reviews and any questions you may have via PM. This is mostly to make these post-chapter sections slightly shorter, as well as for both the lovely readers and I to forgo any wait to have questions or comments addressed.**

 **Chapter Trivia:**

 **Contrary to what at least some of you may think, I myself know very little about cooking food. Writing what I affectionately refer to as "Chef Amy" involves a bit of online research and an occasional question or two to people who have a tad bit more experience than I. It's honestly a lot more fun than I thought it would be, to the point that I originally planned a much more comprehensive scene for cooking the Ducklett, but decided against it as I continued to write the rest of the chapter.**

 **As per usual, be sure to send a review or PM detailing any typos you find in this or other chapters (especially this chapter, as I feel I missed many things in my particularly hasty proofreading).**

 **See ya next chapter!**


	7. The Apology (An Impending Rewrite)

**The Apology**

 **(An Impending Remake)**

 **Hey all...**

 **So here we are. I promised you Chapter 7, but instead you're now reading this. There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just put it bluntly: I am** _ **not**_ **happy with how my story is, not even in the slightest. If you remember, I said in the very first chapter's author note that I wanted to create a story worth reading, and, well... I haven't done a very good job at doing that. Every chapter I publish has several typos and other errors that I have to correct after the fact, I'm not satisfied with how I've decided to format the story, and I seriously doubt that I'm doing a good job in portraying characters and the world I've envisioned them in.**

 **In other words, I suck at writing, and it took my cyclical bout of questioning my self-worth to realize that. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to provide you with the experience that I promised, I'm sorry that I can't even keep a schedule (Chapter 7 was supposed to have been up days ago), and most of all, I'm sorry that I'm having to do this in the first place.**

 **As you can probably guess from the title of this update,** _ **A Home Like No Other**_ **is going to be fully rebuilt from the ground up as a new story. This isn't something that I want to do, rather, it's something that I** _ **need**_ **to do. I can't continue this little tale of mine as is in good conscience; I've learned so much in just the span of six chapters about what one needs in order to make a great story, things that—even this early into things—are too difficult to properly incorporate into what I had been writing up until this point.**

 **I don't know exactly how long it will take for me to actually get this remake off of the ground, but I can say that it may not be anytime soon. I'm going to take proper care to make sure this project is the absolute best it can be before I so much as begin writing the first chapter. Proper story outlines, multiple drafts, Beta Readers, I'm going to go the whole nine yards for my little piece of the internet. If not for the love I have towards Pokémon as a concept and a franchise, then for the enjoyment I get out of writing and how passionate I feel in regards to quality content.**

 **If you've made it this far down the update, I thank you for reading what I've written up until now. And even if it is just a tiny handful of readers, I appreciate all who have taken the time to follow, favorite, and review this admittedly shoddy piece. So I bid to all of you a farewell, if only for a little while, and wholeheartedly hope that you decide to keep an eye on little ol' me for when I** _ **REALLY **_ **make something for readers to enjoy.**

 **This has been Joshy. See ya later!**


	8. An Update AND Chapter 7

**So yeah, here's an update for all of you folks out there! I'm sure you've all been wondering (or perhaps not) what the deal with the rewrite is, so II'm here to reward your patience with news of what's to come.**

 **Firstly, let me say that I was** _ **not**_ **expecting this little story to keep growing after I announced the rewrite. As of the posting of this, we've reached 50 favorites, 83 follows, and over 7,000 total views! And while I can't put into words how happy this makes me, it also leaves me questioning whether or not the decision to essentially scrap what I've done so far and start over was the right call. I suppose it doesn't really matter either way, but I'm certainly a bit more apprehensive about it now.**

 **But what am I saying? You're not here for me, so let's hop on into why you folks are all reading this.**

 **The first chapter of** _ **A Home Like No Other**_ ' **s rewrite will be up by the end of the month. If not then, then definitely by the 4th of July. It was supposed to be today, but I had a last second change to the writing that has me redoing a large chunk of what was essentially a completed chapter. As for further details on the rewrite, it will be a new, standalone story titled exactly the same as this (now discontinued) version. There will be a different, more straightforward summary to differentiate the two versions, as well as an original cover art made by yours truly. As of now, the summary of this story has also been updated to help with distinction.**

 **...And that's really all there is to know. I'm equal parts excited and nervous to go through with this, but I'm hoping in the end to deliver a superior product that has a much more defined direction and can be considered a fan fiction worth reading. After all, I still haven't forgotten the promise I made back in Chapter 1. In the meantime, let me satiate your appetite with another promise I had broken in Chapter 6...**

 **Here's Chapter 7! My proofreading for it was nothing more than a cursory glance, so there may** **be** _**a few**_ **errors throughout, even more than what's typical of my work. That being said, I hope you still find it interesting** – **it introduces a few characters who were going to play an important role in progressing the plot along in later chapters. Who knows, most of them may also appear in the rewrite, serving an entirely different purpose than what was originally intended ;)**

* * *

 **A Home Like No Other**

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

Nighttime was a wonderful thing to behold, or so Amy Miller would've said if she'd seen it. For in this strange world she now found herself in, night was merely an absence of sunlight. Around the world, on all four continents and the Compass Isles, there were many species of nocturnal Pokémon who went about their business in the night as if the sun itself were a myth. In fact, some towns and cities were just as active during the late hours of night as they were during the day. Such was not the case with Merri Village, however. In point of fact, the Pokémon in the settlement who could even remotely be considered nocturnal could be counted on human fingers. Even the trading caravan led by Nedos operated as the sun rose and fell. So in that particular corner of the world, most were sleeping. Sure, an Espeon stayed up, lost in her memories, and a Gardevoir lay awake and racked her brain for a way to stop a certain Nidoking, but aside from them, everyone else slept.

But that was Merri Village. A few miles to the south, another Pokémon scurried along the forest floor. He looked like any other Rattata child, but both he and everyone who knew him were aware that he wasn't as such. He was also nocturnal, which meant that he was quite tired from staying awake for a large part of the day, pretending to be Tiran.

The not-Rattata hesitated for a moment, before continuing his light run through the woods. Tiran had been a surprisingly fun Pokémon to mess around with, and him promising not to tell anyone what had happened just so the actual Rattata could have someone to play with for a few hours was both relieving and saddening at the same time. The child had seemed so lonely, a feeling he could sometimes relate to. But he had to push that feeling away. After all, at the end of the night, he was still on a mission, and good soldiers never let anything get in the way of orders.

He hopped onto a fallen log and paused. Sticking his short muzzle into the air, he took a few whiffs of the cool evening breeze. It smelled of the sea, not at all like how it was back in Willoway, but he could still pick up plenty of recognizable scents. He was downwind from the village, just like he'd been instructed so that he could smell any pursuers before they were able to sneak up on him. Fortunately, there were no encroaching smells for him to worry over, but there was one particular scent floating about that made him scrunch his face and sneeze.

"I know you're there, Skyre. You can't sneak up on me."

The not-Rattata's voice rang out, a sound that was no longer the mirror of Tiran's. It sounded older, if only by a few years, but it nevertheless failed to match the smaller form he'd chosen to take for his task. There was a quiet rustle, a sound that even his sensitive ears had trouble picking up, and then a dark shape silhouetted against the moonlight filtering through the treetops took flight above, circling down to the forest floor. The Murkrow landed with an almost inaudible thump, peering about with an ominously dark shadow cast over his eyes from the hat-like crest on his head.

"To be fair, young sir, I wasn't trying to sneak up on you. I was scouting ahead at your father's request. No one appears to be following you, by the way, so I would consider it safe to dispel that illusion of yours and conserve your energy. I'm certain your close to overexertion."

"You can't boss me around! And why's he sending you to check on things? He said that he wouldn't try to get in the way unless things became dangerous."

The not-Rattata pouted, regarding the Flying-type with clear disdain. Skyre simply sighed and continued speaking.

"Naturally, he's become worried. And—"

"But he said—"

Skyre held up a wing, silencing the younger Pokémon.

"I am very much aware of what he said, but the situation has, in fact, become dangerous for us. Enough so that we had to stop him from marching into the village to personally retrieve you."

The disguised Pokémon's frown deepened as his body was enveloped in a multicolored light. The form of Tiran contorted and grew until it was something else entirely. The light faded to reveal a grayish, quadruped creature with a dark ruff of fur around its neck, large, triangular ears, and a bushy tail. It also had round, blue-green eyes with accents of blood red fur around them and other parts of its body. A fine young Zorua.

"What do you mean dangerous? Is someone on our tails or something?"

The Zorua looked around, as if doing so would let him see some invisible enemy he'd somehow missed. Skyre shook his head, fanning his wings.

"It's more complicated than that. Come, let us return to the camp. It's been moved a few miles closer to where we are now, so it will hardly be as far of a trip. But first, answer me this: did you come into contact with an Espeon while you were scouting? Either in or around the village we sent you to?"

The Zorua gave a thoughtful hum.

"I don't know, what does it look like?"

"It's an eeveelution. Lilac fur, a forked tail, and a gemstone embedded into its forehead. Does that sound familiar?"

"Oh, _that's_ what an Espeon looks like? Yeah, I saw her. She had a funny sounding name, but the food she helped make was pretty good. I snuck some while no one was looking. Why, is she bad?"

The Murkrow's hitched breathing and grim face was enough of an answer to give him pause. The Flying-type didn't respond at first, but he soon spread his wings and took to the nearest branch with a powerful flap. He turned his head and spoke urgently.

"Follow, and be quick about it."

With that, Skyre leapt from the tree limb and glided a short distance to the next one, repeating the action every time the Zorua managed to hurry his way to the tree he landed in. He acted as a guide toward their new campsite in that regard, knowing full well that the younger Pokémon would be able to follow with the natural night vision gifted to most Dark-types. It stayed like this for a few minutes before the Zorua spoke up to break the uneasy silence, panting lightly as he did so.

"You didn't really answer my question, you know. I mean, I guess that she's bad because of how you're acting, but how bad is 'bad'?"

Skyre beat his wings a few more times before coming to perch on a particularly low branch. With another sigh, he turned to face his escort with the same serious expression as before.

"Sergeant Arzon has yet to give any details, but we have reason to believe that the Espeon you observed has the potential to be the next Bringer of Day. A force that could bring both King Maykine and Ridan to their metaphorical knees – that's the kind of 'bad' we may be dealing with."

The Zorua had still been running to Skyre as he spoke, his sharp ears being able to catch his voice at such a distance. But he still had to wonder if he'd misheard the Murkrow, as the words were enough for the child to become distracted and trip over his own feet. The Pokémon went rolling, coming to an unceremonious stop as he stared up with unbelieving eyes.

"Bringer of Day? So she's like how Evin of the Shrine was... but an Espeon instead of an Umbreon?"

Skyre nodded.

"Precisely. But whereas Evin had inherited the power of the first Umbreon, this Pokémon may very well be hiding the power of the first Espeon. And considering what those Psychic-types did without that power, one could imagine what they could and _would_ accomplish with it."

The Zorua swallowed hard as he stared up past Skyre, looking beyond the forest's canopy and at the nearly full moon that decorated this part of the forest with silver shafts of light. The event Skyre was referring to had happened long before his time, or so his tutor had said. The time when the Psychic Pokémon had invaded Ridan just to take a single life. The idea that they could do it again, but with more power... more purpose, was a thought that he didn't want to dwell on.

"That's a little scary..."

"Yes, yes it is. So please, let us keep moving."

The two fell silent after that. Skyre turned away and flapped his wings once, twice, and then took to the air yet again. Without uttering a single word, the other Dark-type pulled himself off of the forest floor and continued following the other Pokémon. In truth, he wasn't quite sure how to feel about all this, but it didn't really matter either way, did it? He instead chose to keep the silence as they pressed through the night, well on their way back to his father.

– **-**

The camp had definitely been moved further north than it had been previously. From what he could tell, it had also been moved further away from the road, deeper into the forest itself to compensate for the approach to civilization in what was technically the kingdom of Auristead. Aside from that, however, the small campsite itself seemed unchanged in its layout. A small tent still sat next to a few rolls of hide used for sleeping, and a low-burning fire at the center of the cleared space they had claimed. It was minimalistic, if that was the word he was supposed to be using. It was hardly befitting of a proper military installation, regardless of how few soldiers inhabited it. But for a group of five scouts meant to move quickly through enemy territory? It was perfect.

The pair entered the perimeter of the camp, where two Mightyena sat, poking at the embers of the campfire with their claws. Their ears twitched and they turned as one, relief crossing their faces as they both stood up and made their way to the Zorua. Skyre flew overhead, swooping into the tent as the twin Pokémon spoke in tandem.

"Ah, we were worried about you!"

"Oh so worried!"

"When Arzon said that he'd received a message from General Shearon about this Bringer of Day business—"

"—We started to assume the worst. We had to stop him—"

"—Your father—"

"—From charging headlong into the village to try and find you! It's good to see that you're safe."

The young Dark-type nodded, his tail wagging lightly from the concerns of the others. He opened his mouth to wave off what the twins were saying, but cut himself off as the flap of the tent was pushed aside. Skyre hopped out, once more taking to the trees above as a larger shape followed from behind, rising up and making its way to the the child, calling his name.

"Zolkir _._ "

Arzon Crimsire, he was one of the many faceless Sergeants in Ridan's army, commanding officer of their quaint little squad, and father to the Zorua. The Zoroark stopped in front of him, looking down with something he could almost identify as worry, but his features soon grew stern as he straightened up, speaking as if he'd never been concerned.

"I'm glad to see that you made it back in one piece. I assume everything went well, even when given the... unexpected circumstances?"

"Yes sir."

Zolkir spoke firmly, just like he'd always been told to. He looked up, almost hopefully at his father, only to receive a nod, a gesture that probably wasn't even meant for him specifically.

"Excellent. Now that we're all here, you can report to us what you've found and I can give everyone an update to our objectives. Skyre, get back down here! Cambri, stop your hiding! _Everyone to me_!"

His voice was authoritative, practically ringing through the forest. If he wouldn't have known it was an illusion tuned specifically to their ears, he would have argued that it was unnecessary and defeated the purpose of being sneaky. The first one to return was Skyre, who landed on the edge of the faint firelight, settling down on a much closer limb. About the same time, a chill ran up Zolkir's spine as he felt something emerging from the trees behind him. He glanced behind himself, catching the Banette as she seamlessly rose from the ground. Cambri grinned, an eerie sight given how the teeth of her zipped mouth caught the firelight. Without even touching it, the slider pulled along her lips, unsealing her mouth so she could speak.

"Apologies, sir, I must've been dozing."

And that was it, all things considered, she acted just like any other Pokémon. She closed her zipper, drifting through the air and reaching out to rub Zolkir on the back of his head. Arzon gave her a disapproving look, but continued anyway.

"Alright gentle'mon – and lady – it's time for us to make heads and tails of this situation. I know you all have questions over the message I received a few hours ago, and you can rest easy knowing you'll be getting full disclosure on the matter. But before then, one of our own is back from his assignment to report what he's found. Zolkir, if you'd be so kind?"

The Zorua nodded, looking about the five expectant faces now gathered around the fire. Barring the actual blood relationship in his father, the rest of the team had become almost like a family. Almost. He felt tired all of a sudden, perhaps it was the Chesto Berry he'd eaten losing its potency, or maybe it was something else. But he fought the fatigue and recounted everything that he'd seen, trying to sound as serious as possible.

"Well, everything was just like Skyre predicted. I infiltrated the village and found that there was no real military presence from Auristead. But as I explored, I kept hearing some of the kids talking about someone who'd been brought into the village a day or two ago. I went west and found a small group of traders set up, and that's where I saw her. I didn't know who she was at first, but Skyre let me know on the way back here that she was an Espeon."

He left out the part where 'exploring' meant playing hide-and-seek with Tiran, or how he acted the part of the aforementioned Rattata to interact with others despite being told not to do so. But that didn't really matter, he'd gotten the information and confirmed whatever ideas were going through the minds of his teammates. Everyone seemed to shift a bit as they traded glances with one another, even his father looked uneasy, working his claws as he furrowed his brow.

"Is that all?"

"Umm, n-no. While I was in the clearing, I also spotted two more Psychic-types. One of them was a Gardevoir and the other was a, uh, the other evolution..."

"A Gallade?"

"Yeah! Er, yes sir. I don't think they were with the traders, though. I think they actually live in the village."

Again, there were more looks traded, but no one said not a word. Zolkir wasn't sure if he should tell them that he was done, or just let them be. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long before their Sergeant spoke up.

"This is... concerning. I'm no strategist, but if those two aren't part of an entourage to that Espeon, then there may be ulterior motives to them being there. A pair of Psychic Pokémon would never live a a stone's throw away from us without good reason to. But that isn't a discussion for us right now. I'd bet that you just want me to address the Donphan in the room, right?"

"It would be appreciated, sir."

"Yes, most appreciated."

The twins spoke up, followed by nods of agreement by both Skyre and Cambri. Zolkir watched his father nod again, the Zoroark raising a paw to reveal that he'd been holding a small box that had gone unnoticed. He unlatched the lock and opened it up with care, revealing what looked to be several small shards of dull, violet glass. There was a collective silence from all but Cabri, who let out a gasp and yanked at her zipper to speak.

" _Curse the gods_ , those look like the leftovers from a Calling Orb!"

"Correct. I'm surprised that you identified it so fast. They're extraordinarily rare around here, since the Psychic Gems used to make them can't be found in the mines of Ridan, or anywhere on Amaranth that I'm aware of. Regardless, I was gifted this by General Shearon himself before we set out from Willoway. It was to be used in only the most dire of circumstances to contact him directly, but he instead used it the other way around and inform me of what's happened earlier today in Duskrown. I wasn't able to discuss things before the strain of communicating over such a distance shattered the orb, but I heard what I needed to. His Highness' oracle came to the palace and shared a vision of what she believed to be the next Bringer of Day in a village around this area. I didn't get the details, but guess what? We've found an Espeon of all things appearing out of nowhere in some insignificant village. As such, our objectives have been updated. Our new mission is to capture the Espeon and bring her straight to the capital before anyone catches wind of what's happening. If we are unable to do so, we are to fall to the next logical step: assassination."

A hush fell over everyone as the words sank in. But it wasn't long before Skyre of all Pokémon shot bak with his opinion.

"Assassination?! That would be an act of war!"

"That's a fair point, but keep in mind that us even being in this forest is an act of war, and what happens if we fail to capture and she flees north? We've heard it all our lives: with the Bringer of Day by their side, Auristead would surely orchestrate a second march on our kingdom. But they wouldn't just kill a single Umbreon at that point – our entire kingdom would be the target. Damned if we do, damned if we don't. But keep in mind that killing would be the desperation move. We _need_ to capture."

"And then what? They would just chase us all the way back to Maykine's throne room regardless!"

"Maybe, but maybe not. Somehow, I have this feeling that hardly anyone knows of her existence, for whatever reason that may be. But if that's the case, we may just have a shot at getting away with no repercussions. Besides, these were Shearon's orders, not mine. And good soldiers never let anything get in the way of orders."

Zolkir continued to listen to the two argue and sighed. Sometimes he wished he could just be normal, like all the other children his age. Why did his father bring him on this campaign? Well, he knew the answer, but how did his father come to such an idea as to sneak him into an army? He didn't need to be raised by the military like he had, he didn't need to be made into a soldier. He just...

"Are you okay?"

He looked up. Cambri was staring at him, a sympathetic look on her face. As off-putting as she looked, she wasn't at all how he pictured a Ghost-type trained to kill off enemy commanders in the night to be. He nodded halfheartedly, following her movements as she sat down beside him, listening along while Skyre continued his tirade over 'statistical probability'.

"Listen, Zo, you don't have to hide anything from me. I'm not a replacement for a mom, but you make it really obvious when something's chewing a hole through you. If you ever want to talk, don't even think about asking and just do it."

"Okay... maybe later, though. I'm just going to rest for a bit."

Zolkir murmured as he continued to crash, laying his head down between his paws as the Banette began scratching at his head once again. He should be up and playing about, not sleeping around. It wasn't long at all before he began dozing, but as he struggled to keep his eyes open, he couldn't help but have a stray thought. He felt as though he'd forgotten to mention something to everybody when he was giving them his brief explanation of what he'd witnessed. It was like a Bug-type, gnawing at the back of his mind, though what it was and whether or not it was important eluded his drowsy mind as he soon succumbed to sleep.

– **-**

Yes. Be it fate, some unseen deity, or simple happenstance, everything seemed to be moving into place. A cornucopia of Pokémon and their intentions threatening to come together in all the wrong ways. But even then, there was still one last thing to bring attention to in the desolate hours of the night. The final piece of a vision witnessed by a Mismagius gifted with the sight to see coming threats to the kingdom that she proudly called her home.

Far to the northwest of where the Ridanian scouts had set up camp, beyond Merri Village and the coastal forests that surrounded it, a flaming beast thundered through the rolling plains of Auristead at a steady gallop. If Amy were to have seen it, she'd most certainly identify it as a flaming unicorn, but most every other Pokémon in the world would have known the creature more accurately as a Rapidash. The Fire-type snorted as he ran, blowing steam out of his nostrils and into the cool air while he strained against the reins holding him fast to the carriage that he pulled. The vehicle itself was unmarked, and just big enough to squeeze two average-sized Pokémon into the enclosed cabin. The Rapidash couldn't imagine that it was exactly comfortable, but he was also incapable of sitting in seats like many other Pokémon could, so he kept that thought to himself... not that it mattered – the carriage's sole occupant probably wouldn't have heard him anyway.

So the Rapidash continued to gallop in silence, making sure that he avoided as many bumps and holes in the road as possible while he went along his way. There wasn't much to the plains, as one would expect; it was essentially an endless sea of grass with the occasional tree or low hill, such as the one he was currently passing. Lit only by the orange glow of his own fiery mane and the pale light of the moon, it was a little difficult to make out all the details of the road as it rushed beneath his hooves, so he naturally didn't think much as a hoof came down onto a particularly large bump in the road.

And that's when it happened. It was so fast that he hardly had time to blink before it was done and over with. He sank an inch or so into the unusually soft dirt, before the mound _exploded_ with a tangle of leafy vines that found themselves reaching up and catching his legs. He thought for sure that he would've been able to tear them from the ground with his weight and speed, or even burn them with his fire, but to his horror, the many tendrils survived long enough to tear his legs out from under him. At the same time, he noticed something mixed in with the rising dirt that glinted like flakes of gold in the light of his own flames. His eyes widened impossibly further as he fell, trying to hold his breath, but it was too late. The Pokémon fell victim to the Stun Spore, his muscles left spasming uselessly as he crashed to the earth and was pushed further along the ground by the impressive mass of the carriage. There he lay motionless for several seconds, his brain trying to catch up with what just happened, when he heard a voice call out from the darkness.

"Alright, whoever's in that box better come out right now, unless you want me to make things more unpleasant than they already are."

The Rapidash struggled to turn his head and look up toward where the sound had come from. It took some effort, but he managed to crane his head towards the hill he'd just been running past. He looked on as a shape moved from within the darkness and stepped into the bubble of light that was around him. It was a slimy Pokémon, with skin that was colored two different shades of blue, webbed fingers and toes with bulbous tips, yellow eyes, and a frothy substance that clung to its neck like the scarves that were often popular with furless Pokémon and many non Fire-types during the winter months. A Frogadier, if his memory served correctly. Swirling in his hands was a sphere of water that pulsed with a faint light that was almost unnoticeable unless you looked close enough.

Bandits. And it was very clear that this Pokémon was not alone. Whether it was just one more or one hundred, the Fire-type could now feel extra sets of eyes on him. They were in the dark, watching everything unfold from the safety of the shadows. But even that wasn't the worst of it. He thought he could hear something inside of the carriage shuffling around and doing gods-only-knew-what. He'd been paid quite a bit of extra coin to safely transport a confidential passenger dangerously close to the borders of Ridan, but now they were in danger.

And then he heard the door to the carriage open. He was incapable of turning his head to look behind him, but he could hear someone step out into the night, muttering something along the lines of sleep and schedules. The Frogadier shifted impatiently from foot to foot, his orb of water seeming to grow in volume as he eyed the mysterious passenger.

"Good. Now I'm gonna have to ask you to step away and hand over whatever you have inside, along with whatever's in that belt pouch – er, _hey!_ Stop moving!"

The Rapidash could only look on as the Water-type's face grew angry at what he assumed was his passenger's negligent attitude towards his demands. The Water Pulse was beginning to swirl much more violently in his hands as his body tensed, but the Water Pokémon didn't make a move. Not yet. There was a quiet sound of someone stepping around the carriage, and then the familiar sound of combustion as another light source came from outside his field of view. It was tense, but there was no attempt to approach whoever had come out of the carriage. Finally, a voice called from the side. It – or rather, she – sounded tired, irritated, even. But there was a natural composure to her words as she spoke.

"Credit where it's due, this is a creative trap. Leaving an unactivated and overcharged Leech Seed on the ground and covering it with dried dirt laced with Stun Spore. When the vines burst out to snare a target, whatever they inhale leaves them paralyzed, is that correct?"

"That doesn't matter! Now you're going to listen to me and put down that stick, you... you..."

The Frogadier trailed off as his eyes followed something. The Rapidash could hear footsteps again, this time growing louder as they approached him. A figure soon strode into his field of view, leaving him slack-jawed as he stared at the Pokémon. She stood straight and bipedal, with golden fur accented with a creamy white around parts of of her jaw, cheeks, and chest. She seemed tall from where he lay, but he knew that it was just her massive ears that added to her height. Ears that sported large, fanning tufts of red fur from them, a red fur that also covered her arms and legs, draping around her claws like a robe. The Delphox wore a leather belt with a few pouches around her waist, alongside a collar on her neck – also made of leather – but the most drawing feature was what she held in her hands. What she clutched wasn't a burning branch, as often portrayed by stories or art, but a proper wand, a fiery work of art carved from what looked to be an expensive wood and adorned with immaculate etchings along its surface. He knew who this was! Any Singewreath native worth their ash knew her!

"Kindelle..."

He breathed the name, almost reverently. He could hardly believe what he was seeing! One of the best—"

"Did that fall injure you? Are any of your legs broken?"

Her voice was cool, almost apathetic as she asked the question. Brought back to reality, the Rapidash worked his mouth, trying to fight the paralysis acting on his tongue as he did so.

"I'm fine... I think. I just didn't expect to be transporting _you_ of all 'mon. What are you even doing in going so far south?"

"Irrelevant to the question and confidential. But if you think you're unharmed, then just lay back. This will be over with shortly."

The flaming beast nodded as he relaxed a bit. Without another word, Kindelle spun and began walking towards the bandit. He didn't doubt her words one bit.

– **-**

Something wasn't right. Perhaps it was the way that the Delphox ignored his demands and went about as if he wasn't a Water-type, or maybe it was the almost relaxed way that the Rapidash watched as she approached. Either way, it didn't sit well. He continued holding his Water Pulse, watching every move while the unexpected surprise of seeing a Psychic -type this far south wore off. Closer still the the Pokémon approached, raising her burning wand and regarding him with the same distaste that a noble would have of a feral Grumpig wallowing in the mud.

"Alright, you heathen, let's make this quick. I have things to do and places to be."

Her tone was sharp, as reflected by the serious scowl on her face. That didn't make the words any less unbelievable to hear, though. The Frogadier felt himself blink in surprise, almost losing focus long enough for the whirling sphere of water he held to slow and fall apart into a dripping puddle. Just who did this Pokémon think she was? She had guts challenging him so openly, but she seemed to forget that she was a partial Fire-type, while he was a Water-type. Moreover, she didn't seem to be taking into account that he wasn't alone. He held every advantage here.

"You'll take back those words, missy. _Hyaah_!"

He let out a resounding cry as he threw his first attack. The Water Pulse was thrown with such force that the energy binding it together seemed to waver, giving the projectile a more discus shape as it barreled towards the Delphox's chest.

But she hardly seemed fazed by the attack. With a simple sidestep, she dodged in an almost nonchalant fashion and held out her free claw. Her eyes flashed a menacing violet light and an aura of the same color quickly enveloped the projectile as she whirled, sending it in a wide arc around herself and redirecting it straight towards him. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on and he hopped back a short distance before his own attack struck the ground right where he'd been standing. The impact kicked up a surprising amount of grass and dirt, enough for him to have to shield his eyes for a moment. That was _too_ _quick_! A Psychic-type, even a trained one, shouldn't be able to react that fast with their powers! They needed time to concentrate... right?

Unfortunately, he found that there wasn't much time to ponder that question. By the time he had lowered his arm, he found that there was a nebulous mass of spectral energy hurdling towards him. Instinctively, he used his powerful legs and kicked off of the ground, launching skywards as the Shadow Ball hummed dangerously below his feet. As he hit the ground, the bandit charged up another Water Pulse – on in each hand – and launched them simultaneously at his target, using the technique as a distraction while he tried to close the distance between them with a Quick Attack. For a moment, it seemed to work; the Delphox looked unsure of which target to focus on as the Frogadier's zipped in to deliver a good blow. However, he was once again taken off-guard at how fast the Pokémon could react. With an grimace, she aimed her wand at the ground in front of the Water Pulse, unleashing a nasty fireball into the ground and creating a shockwave of force and heat that repelled both him and his attacks.

The bandit rolled several feet before he managed to use his own momentum to maneuver himself back into an upright position. He stared dumbly at the Delphox, still not understanding how she could act so quickly, when he spotted an opportunity. The Fire and Psychic-type looked to be distracted in dealing with him, and now she seemed a bit too focused. Now was the perfect time to spring his trump card... not to be confused with the technique of the same name.

"Rossy, now! Stun Spore!"

The Delphox's eyes went round and she whirled to face the carriage. Unbeknownst to her, a Roselia had snuck up from behind and was waiting from atop the vehicle. The unexpected assailant waved her petal-like hands about, sending a rain of glittering spores towards the startled Pokémon, who responded in kind by raising her wand and unleashing a wave of flames to burn the attack away before it reached her. Perfect! Without wasting any time, the Frogadier poured everything he could into his next Water Pulse, overcharging it with his energies and sending the sphere straight at the back of his now preoccupied opponent. The attack struck her with bone-cracking force, eliciting a pained cry as he approached one again with a Quick Attack.

However, he wasn't expecting for his opponent's body to blur and flicker, before completely vanishing from sight.

"Was that a Substitute?! Where'd she – _damn it!_ She's behind you!"

He cried out desperately to his companion, but it was far to late. By the time the Grass and Poison-type had turned around, she was face-to-face with the flaming tip of the wand. He watched in stunned silence as the Roselia was engulfed in a pillar of fire, launched off the roof of the vehicle as she screamed in silent agony. When the flames died down, she was left unconscious, several parts of her leafy body left singed and charred. Just like that, he was left to fend for himself against the opposing Pokémon. When had she managed to make a doppelgänger of herself? Maybe... no, it had to have been when she'd kicked up all that dirt with his own Water Pulse. She'd known Rossy had been sneaking around all along, and he'd played right into her trap to lure her out and be disposed of.

He felt a bit numb at that, a sentiment that didn't at all dull the pain as he was pelted by a rapid-fire volley of Shadow Balls that left he himself on the verge of unconsciousness.

– **-**

"Predictable."

Kindelle lowered her wand, the burning tip extinguishing into a wisp of smoke as she hopped off the top of the carriage. She was still upset at having been woken up, but putting the offending Pokémon in their place helped her to get over it, if only just a little. She slipped the finely carved piece of wood into the thick fur of her arm and strode towards the downed Rapidash, fishing around in her belt pouches for something that could help. Finally, she found what she was looking for and pulled it out. It was a slim vial, corked shut and filled with a deep red substance that could've easily been mistaken for blood if one didn't know any better. She twisted off the cork and knelt beside the Rapidash, offering him the liquid.

"Drink this."

"Er, what is it?"

"Cheri juice. It should help clear the paralysis faster and let us be on our way."

The larger Fire-type still gave the vial a dubious look, but he opened his mouth regardless and allowed for her to pour in its contents. The effects were almost immediate as his hooves began to shift about on the ground. A a minute later and he felt well enough to be helped up to his feet. He had a few scratches about him, but he seemed no worse for wear. With that out of the way, she made her way back into the carriage, closing the door behind her and pulling open a slide at the front of the cabin that allowed her to see and speak to her chauffeur.

"Alright, I'm ready when you are."

The Rapidash looked back, mildly surprised.

"But what about the—"

"The bandits will be fine. The burns on the Roselia looked fairly minor and the Frogadier should be back up in an hour's time."

"Ah..."

That was really all there was to it. The Rapidash cleared his throat and began hurrying along as he'd previously been doing. It started as a quick trot as he tested his legs, but soon transitioned into a reasonable gallop that one couldn't help but notice was a bit slower and more cautious than what it had been. Perhaps it was because of the slide still being open, but the thundering Pokémon couldn't help but ask a question as she made herself comfortable once more on the plush cushions inside.

"So... you never exactly told me why you're heading—"

"Still classified."

"Okay, fair enough. But could you at least tell me why you just so happened to have something to cure paralysis?"

Kindelle shrugged in spite of the Rapidash not being able to look back and see her.

"It's key to be prepared for anything... but this was just coincidence. I just enjoy Cheri juice. But while we're so inclined to chat, I hope it goes without saying that so much as breathing a word of this encounter to anyone will not end well for you."

"O-Oh, most certainly, Miss Kindelle."

"Good."

Kindelle reached up a clawed finger and flicked the slide shut with a Psychic, reveling in the newfound silence. She nestled into her seat and reached into the space beneath, dragging out a basket filled with a wide assortment of berries, a hunk of cheese, and even a few pieces of jerky tucked into a cloth. Reaching in, she dug around until she found the treasure buried beneath her snacks: a pouch that had been tied loose from her belt and held shut with a bit of string. Opening it up, she reached inside and pulled out a pawful of wood chips for her troubles; a mix of pecan and hickory that was a favorite among her guilty pleasures. It truly was a shame that she couldn't complete the trifecta with a bit of her Cheri concoction trickled on top. Sure, she had the actual berry in the basket, but it hardly compared, considering she wasn't actually eating the wood.

"Oh well."

She popped the chips into her mouth, chewing into some of the wood with a soft bite and sucking. She squirmed further into the cushion, letting her mind wander a bit as she fully relaxed. At this rate, it would probably be another three days before she reached Faeble, the tiny village tucked away in the southeastern forests. From there, she would head a few hours south, to her true destination: its essentially nonexistent sister village. Who would've thought that the next Bringer of Day would appear in such a backwater part of the kingdom? With any luck, she could be in and out with the Espeon and have her away from the dangers of the south in a week's time.

 _Heh, if only such luck existed..._


End file.
